Deviation
by ScifiTrash
Summary: Dying from hypothermia in the cold of the Antarctic, Lex is taken on board the hunters ship. Escaping certain death only to find herself in a savage struggle for survival, can she assimilate into this violent society without losing sight of what it means to be human? Rated M for adult content. Obviously I don't own Scar or Lex etc. Please review
1. Chapter 1

Lex fell to her knees beside the body of the dying hunter and tried to slow her breathing down. The adrenaline of the last few desperate minutes was wearing off, to be replaced by a growing sense of despair. She was alone in an icebound wasteland, the only other living creature for miles around was dying in front of her eyes and she wouldn't be far behind him in this deadly cold.

"Stupid, stupid!" she cursed inwardly. Her fur-lined snow jacket was long gone and she was only wearing a thermal sweater. Her perspiration was in the process of freezing onto her flesh in the howling gale.

She recognised the signs of the onset of hypothermia. Her skin was getting paler by the minute and she was shivering uncontrollably. She was going to die before she could ever reach the Piper Maru but she was suddenly so tired that she could hardly bring herself to care. She looked into the yellow eyes, now dull with pain. Mortally wounded as he was, the hunter struggled to rise for a moment but fell back with an icey crunch. Screwing up his face, he gave a guttural laugh that ended in a spluttering, choking noise as he coughed up more glowing green blood. Slightly hysterical from fatigue she could almost see the funny side herself "So this is how it ends;" she thought "Freezing to death on an ice-floe, alone with an alien who only a few hours ago was my deadly enemy. Now the last thing I see will be his ugly face!"

Her eyes were trying to close and she was starting to feel drowsy, a symptom that the extreme cold was taking over; she knew "I have to stay conscious!" She thought desperately, trying to force the sleep away, knowing if she lost consciousness she would never wake up

Without quite willing it she slumped forward in the snow. The side of her face pressed against his chest, the edge of an armour scale biting into her cheek. His blood was warm on her skin and she could hear his heart beating slower and slower, his ribcage rising and falling haltingly as he struggled to breath.

Hovering on the edge of unconsciousness, she felt a hot breeze that whipped her crackling, frozen hair off her face and heard the roar of a huge engine. Darkness fell across them both. In her weakened, almost hallucinatory state the thrumming of the engine merged with the booming noise of his pulse, or was it her own heartbeat echoing in her ears?

As blackness washed in, she thought she heard voices, words indistinguishable, and saw blurry shadows moving, outlined against a bright light. "I must be dreaming." she mumbled, her words slurring and muffled against the hunter's blood slicked skin and armour plating "But you can't dream when you're dead…"

* * *

She was floating, suspended in the deep hissing grey-blue. Struggling to wake, she tried to swim upwards but the darkness was warm and seductive. Finally she managed to force her eyes open but through slitted lids all she could see was a blinding sliver of white light. She winced and screwed her eyes up again, trying to shut the light out. Unable to make sense of her situation, she tried to move her hands and feel around her but she couldn't. Eventually she drifted down again into unconsciousness, soothed by a throbbing mechanical drone.

* * *

The first thing Lex noticed when she regained consciousness was the heat, it struck down like a sledgehammer. It was hotter than it had been underground. The next thing was a gurgling noise, a disgusting skirl of slime that reminded her absurdly of sucking the last bit of milkshake through a straw. The feeling of blissful weightlessness had been replaced by a searing ache in all her joints. Her eyelids were glued together as if by a long illness. She forced them open despite the pain at finally seeing the light, and tried to take in her surroundings. The first thing she could see was a metal floor. Dull and flat and grey. A short distance away there was a grille covered hole, covered in traces of some blue, viscous substance.

She blinked again and again and shook her head ... trying to clear her vision. A coughing fit shook her, and as she tried to move her mouth she realised with horror there was something on her face – it was in her mouth! Her throat!

Terror rose up in her like bile and she tried to scream, tried to bring her hands up to tear whatever it was away but they seemed to be tangled in something. Those things, they had got her! She struggled weakly and rubbed her face against the floor, trying to scrape the thing off on the metal surface, tears leaking from her eyes.. "No, no, no…."

She felt hands grip her upper arms pull her roughly into sitting position. Her head almost rolled to one side but she managed to keep it straight and looked up blearily into a pair of cat-eyes, yellow as sulphur crystals.

Then the hunter reached out and pulled the awful obstruction away from her mouth. She gulped a huge lungful of air and let out an involuntary gasp of shock. As she looked down through blurred vision she realised that the thing he'd pulled off her wasn't a creature, but a breathing mask. Looking further down at her arms and legs she saw that her hands and feet were encased in some sort of metal devices with tubes and wires running off them. She was sitting in a large glass tank.

Her own eyes opened wide in surprise. The next instant she winced in pain as gobs of thick, gelatinous slime slithered into her eyes, burning and stinging. She screwed her lids shut then blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.

The hunter leaned her back against the side of the tank and started methodically pulling the metal casings off her whilst she tried frantically to make sense of the situation.

"How the hell did I get here?" she thought "I was dying … and then I remember shadows…"

She looked at the hunter who was pulling a tube out of her arm – which she guessed was some kind of IV drip – and studied his face. Now that her sight was clearing and she was feeling more alert it was dawning on her that he looked familiar… "But it can't be you, you died! I heard your heart stop!" she said and then her eyes wandered down his neck, to the huge black bandages that stretched across his chest and abdomen.

"It _is_ you!" she whispered.

He stopped what he was doing and looked down at her again. Yes it was definitely the one she had mentally nicknamed Scar after seeing him mark his forehead with the acid – she recognised his face. But that was impossible - no-one should be able to survive injuries like that! She tried to put out a hand to touch the bandage but she was too weak to reach it. "How can you be alive?" He looked at her blankly and she tried to force her raw throat to make a noise louder than a croak "Do you… understand me?"

He flexed his jaws again and she was even more amazed this time when he made a sound louder than the purring, clicking noises she'd heard before – he said "Essssss". His voice was deep and harsh-sounding, grating.

He gazed at her for a moment as she sat there open-mouthed, then looked down again and removed the last device from her foot, as if nothing had happened.

"You understand me? Then why didn't you talk before?" she asked.

Scar made a sort of shrugging motion – most yautja knew at least the rudiments of the language of their prey species (those prey species that could speak) as it made hunting them easier – but he was exaggerating when he told her he understood her speech. The truth was that although he understood some ooman words, he really relied on watching her body-language, the tone of her voice and the way she smelt to get the drift of what she was saying. He couldn't speak her language except in the most basic way – a few words and phrases.

Lex looked around the room, it must be some sort of medical bay. There was a ring of tanks like the one she'd been in, but they were empty. The room was lit by fluorescent strips on the floor and the up-lighting effect made strange shadows on the hunter's already bizarre face, causing him to look even more menacing. Metal seemed to be the dominant theme here and she could make out the distant humming of what sounded like a massive engine. It had been cool in the tank but in the short time since she'd emerged from the gel the heat had already made her back and armpits slick with sweat. His species must live on some kind of rainforest planet if these were the conditions they liked, she thought.

"This is your spaceship, isn't it?" she said out loud "Why did you bring me here?"

He regarded her for a moment then drew a palm flat across his throat like a knife in a gesture that could only mean death. She guessed that as he wasn't killing her right now it was unlikely to be a threat, so he must have meant she was dying. That made sense. She remembered being cold, the feeling of hypothermia setting in. Presumably he had brought her here to save her… but then who had saved him? She winced and screwed her eyes closed again, keeping them open with the gel in them was becoming excruciating.

He picked up one of her hands by the wrist and shook it. It was as limp and lifeless as a boned fish and flopped down onto her chest as soon as he released it. This amount of conversation having apparently exhausted him he reached into the tank and lifted her up easily with both arms – one around her back and the other under her knees. He didn't seem either to realise or to care if she was comfortable, it was like he was lifting a sack of cement. Her head lolled from side to side as she strove to keep it upright.

Lex felt suddenly panicked by the physical contact and tried to struggle but she was still too feeble to do anything. Besides, he was so much bigger than her, she was little more than a doll in his hands. Even if she'd been able to move, she probably could not have put up much resistance. "No! Take your hands off me! Put me down you son-of-a-bitch!" she said in a strangled voice. He looked at her as if she were stupid, utterly unmoved by her insults.

* * *

Scar watched the ooman female's struggles and fought back the irritation. It was clear she was disorientated and confused. She could hardly hold her head up and her eyes were unfocussed. He knew that feeling well, having only recently suffered the slimy embrace of the gel tank himself.

The medics had told him they were both half dead when they found them. He remembered lying on the ground, the awful biting cold of the ooman planet. The woman, who'd fought so fiercely earlier was suddenly subdued, lying across him. He didn't even have the strength to push her off, just had to lie there as both of them were slowly covered in feathery snowflakes. She looked asleep, but she felt stiff and cold. With that dreadfully clarity that sometimes happens on the brink of death, he thought that he could hardly detect a pulse in her, couldn't feel any movement of breathing. Then suddenly through his darkening vision he saw the ship shimmer into being like a mirage overhead.

He waited for the squad to come to take him back onboard. "They probably expected to collect my corpse" He thought "And they may yet do so..." He could feel himself beginning to slow down, becoming drowsy, everything slipping away. Through the fog that was descending on his mind he dimly recognised R'Zuul, his captain, who'd taught him all of the skills that had got him out of the Pyramid.

As they started to carry him back to the ship, he realised that they'd left the woman where she'd fallen. The realisation jolted him back to consciousness with a start. "No!" he thought "I am leaving my brothers buried here forever, I will not leave her behind whilst she still might live. I would be dead already if not for her!" He tried to say something but only managed a low-pitched growl.

" _Do not speak S'Kia,"_ said R'zuul _"You are injured."_

But Scar couldn't forget that she had saved his life – however short that might turn out to be. He motioned to where she was lying on the snow and managed to speak this time, but with difficulty: _"The ooman...you must …bring her, she has… the blood mark – I owe her my life..."_

As the blackness finally closed in over him he wondered if he still owed her a debt if he died anyway.

He'd woken up and was immediately drowning in a flood of agony – head rolling around, vision blurry. He was delirious from the crippling pain in his chest and shoulder – a ripping, tearing pain. He couldn't understand where it was coming from.

He lashed out at the first medic who tried to touch him, not really understanding what they were trying to do. Under normal circumstances that would've earned him a blow to the head but they'd seen him fight the queen and that had earned him respect. They'd still kept him strapped down while he thrashed around, crazed and unseeing.

They'd told him later that they'd taken a kainde amedha larvae out of his chest. Mercifully he didn't remember the procedure, didn't even remember getting impregnated – "Stupid! Weak!" – He berated himself. The memory of his two brothers also came back to him. They'd died in the Pyramid too and by rights he should have joined them. It was only because of the skill of the medics and his species' divinely bestowed healing ability that he was even alive right now, let alone walking around. "And the ooman," he recalled "Partly it was down to her."

When he came back to himself and stopped raving, there was his squad leader - R'zuul looking down at him. He at least looked pleased to see his protégé wasn't dead.

" _So you are finally awake – how are you feeling S'Kia? Like shit by the look of you."_ R'Zuul grinned _"What kind of idiot lets himself get impregnated with bug larvae? It is a good job you are such a stubborn bonehead that you refused to die. Either that or the gods quickly grew tired of your troublesome presence and sent you back to punish me!"_

" _Let me up! Take these straps off!"_ Scar snarled muzzily _"Where is the ooman female?"_

" _Ooman?"_ R'zuul laughed and clicked derisively _"_ _ **That**_ _is your first question; about the livestock?! You killed a queen on your first hunt! That kind of glory needs no-one to share it – let alone a female of a lesser species. Bask in it for as long as you can."_

Scar subsided mutinously. The insults he could take – he probably deserved some of them – but he was irked by the senior male's refusal to tell him what was going on. He owed the ooman a blood debt. Such things were important _"Where is she R'Zuul?"_ He said steadily _"Did you bring her on board as I asked?"_

" _I thought I had taught you better than to concern yourself with trivia,"_ R'zuul snorted in exasperation _"But since you are obviously so desperate to know what has happened to your pet, she is in the tank room. She was already suffering from the deep cold and the medics thought she might lose some extremities. They put her in the gel tank to begin reheating her blood and muscle tissue. They tell me she is responding well – no limbs lost. She is unconscious at present but she will awaken in a few days – but you must stay here or the wounds may reopen."_

But he couldn't rest. The obligation nagged at him like a thorn in his flesh. R'zuul and the medics tried to stop him getting up but finally, after a lot of struggling and cursing, they let him go.

Now Scar wondered if he'd been entirely wise to get up so soon. He would never have admitted it but even lifting the ooman out of the tank caused sharp pains where his injuries were not healed. He clenched his jaws and blocked it out.

He heard her groan and saw she was trying feebly to rub the gel off her face with hands that were not yet functioning properly. Foul muck. Once it came into contact with the air it became viscous and stung the mucus membranes. While she was in the tank the mask had protected her eyes but now it needed to be washed off.

* * *

Through smarting eyes Lex saw he'd carried her into another large metal room and reaching over to a panel by the door, touched a few buttons. Then he stepped into the centre of the chamber and stood there holding her out in his extended arms like a sacrificial offering.

The door hissed shut and then water started to pour down out of the ceiling.

She flinched slightly as the water struck but as it began to wash the gellid substance out of her eyes and hair she turned her face up towards the stream. It was warm at least and it began to revive her slowly, she was already feeling more alert. She tried to raise her hands to wipe her eyes and mouth but they still wouldn't work. Instead she opened her mouth and then spat out water to rinse away all traces of the horrible tasting gel.

She shook her head to clear her eyes and turned to look at him. "You can put me down now." she said, her voice sounding more normal "I think I can stand up."

* * *

Scar gave an exasperated click. Stubborn! She didn't realise that her legs would be too weak to support her. Well if she wanted to, let her try; she'd soon find out if she could stand! He lowered her feet to the ground but kept a hold of her upper arms, watching with amusement as she tried to make her body obey her. She looked deceptively puny and small, her limbs were like twigs.

" _I could snap them with my bare hands easily if I tried."_ He thought _"If I hadn't seen her fight with my own eyes I would never have believed her capable._

* * *

Lex realised right away why he'd been reluctant to put her down. Her legs collapsed as soon as she put her weight on them. He was still gripping her arms or she'd have fallen and hit her head, instead she stumbled backwards with a yelp. It felt like her arms were being wrenched from their sockets.

"Ok, looks like I can't stand." she said in a strained voice, turning her head to look up at him "How long is this going to last – am I going to be like this for …. a while?"

He held one hand out and flexed his fingers, still holding her upright with his other hand "Essss." he hissed – "yes". She hoped he meant the movement would come back.

He didn't seem to be about to hurt her, although still she was wary. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was getting drenched as well but if he minded he didn't show it. She supposed it didn't matter to him, he was just wearing his bandages – which now she looked closer seemed to be metal bands with some sort of hardened putty or glue-like material wadded underneath, not cloth as she'd first thought – and a few strategically placed pieces of armour. She could see quite clearly now the mottled, leopard-like markings on his flesh. She guessed that with the heat on the ship being so high his species probably didn't need to be overdressed.

At least the feeling in her legs seemed to be coming back, although she still couldn't stand. She drew in a deep breath "Just be patient," She told herself. "Stay calm."

She flexed her toes against the wet metal floor and felt her calf-muscles protest and spasm after such a long period (she guessed) being out of commission. Hanging suspended by her upper arms, she tried to bend one leg and was rewarded by a slight twitch in her knee. Well, it was a start.

She looked up at him "I think that gel stuff is gone now. Can you turn this thing off?" He looked at her without comprehension, following her movements like a cat watching an interesting mouse "Stop? Kill the water?" she pointed upwards and then drew one finger across her throat.

Finally (and she couldn't work out whether it was due to his managing to understand her or whether he just decided she'd been rinsed enough) he reached out one long arm, touched another button on the control panel and the water stopped. Before she could protest, he'd picked her up again and stepped out of the wet-room by a different door that slid open on the opposite side of the room to the way they'd come in.

He carried her down a long metal corridor. As they moved through the ship. Lex cringed inwardly, realising there might be other hunters around. She felt horribly vulnerable in this state of physical weakness and dreaded they might come into contact with any other horrible apparitions.

She reasoned that there must be others like Scar here. The two of them could never have gotten onto the ship unaided, both had been almost on the point of death. "Just let me get the use of my legs back" she prayed silently "Otherwise I'm totally helpless."

Mercifully, no other living thing appeared. The place was silent apart from the constant whirring of the engines, so ever-present that she'd almost stopped hearing it. In the heat of the ship her wet hair and clothes had already dried but her skin was covered in a sheen of sweat.

She noticed panels in the wall as they passed along, all seemingly identical apart from a small LED display at the side of each one showing what must be hunter numbers or letters.

He finally stopped outside one of the panels and touched the little blinking display with one talon. The panel slid open to reveal another room beyond. To call it spartan would be to understate the utter, utilitarian barrenness of the place. It was bare of all furniture apart from a couple of large benches and whoever had designed it had continued the same metallic theme as the rest of the ship. Scar carried her into the room and the door slid shut behind them. He stalked over to one of the benches and unceremoniously dumped her on it.

Muttering irritably to herself at this rough treatment, she managed to struggle awkwardly into sitting position and take a proper look round – and gasped in genuine awe. Now that she could see the whole room she realised that one of the walls had in it a large oblong window and through the thick glass she could see thousands of stars. She'd always thought space would be dark, but the view she had now was of a glowing, celestial panorama. Clouds of luminous vapour drifted – shimmering and translucent with a thousand colours. The otherwise dim interior of the little metal room was illuminated with blue and white light.

"It's beautiful" she breathed, forgetting everything else for a moment "I'll bet I'm seeing something no other human being has ever seen".

The alien grunted non-committally and collapsed on one of the other benches, breathing harshly. Now that she really looked at him, she realised he was pale underneath his mottled markings and was covered in perspiration just as she was. He didn't make any noise of complaint but she guessed that was more through pride and self-discipline than anything else. Within a few minutes his stillness and the sound of his breathing told her he was most likely unconscious.

She suddenly felt desolate. The awesome vista of space that had filled her with wonder moments before now made her feel small and insignificant. "I'm totally alone, probably thousands of miles from another human being." she thought "Even if I were fully recovered, where could I go? I'm trapped. I might as well be a prisoner."

Tears pricked her eyes. She might never see earth again, never see her friends again or anything familiar. She sat and choked back the terror and misery as much as she could, trying not to wake the alien. Although he didn't seem about to hurt her she did not fully trust him and she felt strongly that she shouldn't let him to see her cry, sensing his utter disdain for weakness.

The lapse didn't last long. Experience had taught her to tackle problems one at a time. "Don't worry about the stuff you can't change" she told herself, "Just deal with the stuff you can deal with."

She spent the next few hours trying to get some of the feeling in her limbs back. By methodically stretching and warming up her muscles she managed to regain a good deal more mobility. She wasn't quite sure how long it was before she drifted off to sleep again.

* * *

When she woke up, some sort of low-level red lighting had come on in the chamber ("Maybe to indicate daylight hours?" she thought) and she was ravenously hungry.

She rolled over and pushed herself up on her elbows. The hunter was awake and sitting with his back to her. He had one hand on his chest, over the bandages. He didn't seem to be aware that she was no longer asleep. She cleared her throat and he turned to look at her – yellow eyes almost glowing in

"He doesn't want you you dead." She told herself determined not to give in to the rising fear "He can't do, it wouldn't make any sense after he helped you." "I didn't tell you my name yesterday" She said aloud, trying to make herself sound casual, unworried "My name is Lex."

He looked at her blankly. "Hmmmm, he obviously doesn't speak our language _that_ well then." She thought, instead she pointed to herself "Lex".

"Hhlllexsssssss" the word seemed to give him difficulty "Llllexshhh"

"Close enough," she pointed at him, "What should I call you hmmm?"

"S'Kia" he placed a hand on his chest and lowered his head slightly in a strange gesture that almost looked like a sarcastic parody of a bow. The incongruity of it made her smile. "It suits you." He looked at her, silent and uncomprehending "You have any food? Water?" she mimed eating, drinking – feeling a fool.

Silently he crossed to one wall of the room and with one tap of a talon a panel slid open to show a smaller wet-room, containing a little metal column that that turned out to be a sort of drinking fountain. She swung her legs round and tentatively put her weight on her feet, they seemed sturdy enough. Slowly, carefully she stood up and walked, stiffly and a little unsteadily over to the fountain. She guzzled the water. She knew it wasn't a good idea to gulp it down but she was so thirsty she couldn't help herself. She realised that she hadn't eaten or drunk for several days and although the IV presumably had kept her hydrated it wasn't the same. Drinking the water had made her even hungrier.

When she'd finished and splashed water on her face she turned to find him watching her impassively. "Eat?" she repeated and he inclined his head towards the door. She felt her heart sink, so she would have to go out into the main body of the ship to get food. The prospect filled her with terror, but the hunger was stronger than the fear.

* * *

Lex wasn't the only one who was feeling a little uneasy. Scar was not afraid, but he was experiencing nagging doubts about what might happen once the other yautja knew the ooman female was on board. Although he was big for his age and confident he could hold his own against other males in the clan, he was only just emerging from adolescence, relatively low-status and very recently blooded. More importantly he was not yet fully recovered from his injuries.

Maybe the whole ship knew already. R'Zuul knew, the medics obviously knew and he didn't know how far the news had spread. The ship's internal grapevine worked pretty fast. By now, the other squad leaders must know and R'Zuul would probably have informed the council.

That was why he'd known he had to get to her first whilst she'd been sedated in the tank. There was no telling what someone might take it into their head to do for fun if they found an unconscious ooman lying around. The clan blood mark _might_ afford her some level of protection – in public at least – but if others got hold of her behind closed doors it would count for very little.

He pushed the doubt away, there was no point in worrying. He couldn't keep her in his quarters forever and he couldn't return her to her own world – not for a long time, perhaps never. He didn't know when, or if, they'd be returning to the ooman planet. He'd made the choice to bring her here and now he'd have to brazen it out. At least once she'd been presented to the council, she might have some measure of immunity from being harmed. Either way she'd have to take her chances.

"After all," He thought irritably "I saved her life, she would have perished on that frozen rock – my blood debt to her is repaid. Gods rot her, what more can she expect?" Deep down though, he knew that was not satisfactory. If he had delivered her out of certain death only into another certain death what kind of repayment was that? It unsettled him to think that he could not make good on his obligations.

Lex had another pressing concern on her mind as well "I can't walk around like this" she swept a hand to indicate her clothes, which were shredded and stiff with bloodstains and dried slime from the tank.

Scar raised his brow and twitched his jaws at her and made another movement like a shrug. The impression she got was that he considered this to be her own problem. She could feel herself getting annoyed "Most of this blood is yours!" She snapped at him.

As her temper rose, his mandibles spread in what had to be a grin. She was no expert at decoding his facial expressions, but she got the distinct impression that he found her anger very funny.

Scar thought for a moment. Much as he was amused by so much indignation from someone so small he had to admit she had a point. He didn't think she could possibly be cold, but she _was_ female. On a ship totally populated by males it probably wouldn't be in good taste (or indeed a good idea) for her to walk around naked, even if she were willing to do so – which her indignation clearly indicated she was not.

He knelt down to look in a storage compartment behind one of the sleeping benches and rummaged through until he located what he was looking for – his old juvenile clothes, a sort of all in one bodysuit. It was intended for pre-pubescents to wear on planets where the temperature was low. He'd long ago outgrown them but hadn't got around to discarding them and they would probably be small enough to fit her. He tossed it to her along with a pair of boots the same size.

Lex held up the thing he'd given her – it looked like a sleeveless catsuit made of some sort of stretchy black material. "Well it's better than nothing," she shrugged, grabbed the things and retreated into the wet room. Shrugging off her filthy, torn clothes she wriggled into the suit, which was disconcertingly tight. Even wearing it she still felt naked. Then she pulled on the boots, but didn't know what to do with her torn, discarded clothes. In the end she just left them on the floor. "I doubt this macho idiot is especially house-proud." She thought irritably, still feeling angry because he had mocked her "And if he is, fuck him!"

When she finally emerged he was still standing there, arms folded, flexing his jaws at her impatiently. "OK," she said lifting her chin to try and quell the rising feeling of anxiety that was creeping back at the thought of leaving the room

She walked past him towards the door but as she did so he caught her shoulder. "What!?" she almost shouted, spinning round to face him. "Fearrrrrr." he said, looking her right in the eye. His voice made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"What?" She didn't understand what he meant. He grabbed her chin in one hand and shook her and she suddenly got it "I'm not afraid." She was lying of course, but anger made her spit the words out fiercely, she was already not feeling very well-disposed towards him.

She tried to turn away but he caught her by the wrist and held her there. "No." he said "Show me."

When she stood there blinking stupidly at him he loomed over her again and roared – louder this time – deafeningly close "SHOW ME"

This time she was spurred into action by the unprovoked aggression – dumb terror being converted into rage, evoking an instinctive response. She jerked free of his grasp and stood up straight, eyeball to eyeball with him and yelled right back into his face "TAKE YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME!"

Instantly the snarl left his face and he gave her another strange-looking grin "Essss!"

He turned and opened the door. Lex stood for a moment, breathing deeply to calm herself and then she followed him, stepping out into the ship.

* * *

Scar led the ooman along the corridors to the lift that would take them to the main deck. He had to admit that she impressed him. Her face betrayed no evidence of any emotion that he could read. She walked alongside him boldly and he could not smell fear on her.

They encountered no-one until they got to the main deck, but as they approached the main hall they walked past a few other males – some he recognised and acknowledged but most he ignored. He wasn't in the mood for socialising. He noticed some curious looks in their direction but he disregarded them and pressed on.

But as they neared the hall entrance a mocking voice called out behind them _"S'Kia, did no-one tell you, you are supposed to kill and skin your trophies before you bring them back?"_

He cursed under his breath and turned round, to see D'Kand – another male about his own age – standing with a couple of his friends and grinning. _"Perhaps you want some help taking her skin off?"_ D'Kand said _"Perhaps you are not up to it after your hunt? I hear you brought back another little keepsake in your chest. Lucky for you R'Zuul made them remove it. What a shame for you that your coward brothers were not so lucky!"_

Scar had been planning to simply trade insults with him and move on, but the remark about his brothers he could not allow to pass. Since infant-hood he and D'Kand had detested each other – classic personality clash. D'Kand's friends and the three brothers had brawled with one another many times. In the past it had always just been adolescent rivalry, but this was different. Uncharacteristically, he forgot all about self-control. He crossed the short distance between himself and D'Kand and slugged his tormentor hard in the gut, mid-laugh. As the other yautja bent double, retching, Scar dealt him a quick jab to the forehead. Then he picked him up by the throat – ignoring the pain in his own chest – and slammed him up against the wall. D'Kand's friends gawped in amazement.

" _Say that again worm!"_ He hissed softly in the others ear as D'Kand struggled and fought for breath. He moved his long-taloned thumbs into gouging position just under D'Kand's eye-sockets and his rival was suddenly still _"Mention my brothers in my presence again and I will put out your eyes with my bare hands. One eye for each brother."_ Then he dropped the spluttering male on the deck, turned on his heel and stalked off. It all happened so quickly that D'Kand's friends didn't have time to react.

" _You crazy bug-fucker!"_ D'Kand shouted after him _"You are even crazier now than before you were blooded! Did the hard-meat larvae make your brain go rotten?!"_

Lex almost had to run to keep up with him as he walked away. She'd had to work not to show her surprise when the fight broke out but she doubted any of the other aliens would have noticed anyway. It seemed to have surprised everyone else just as much as it did her.

"What the hell did he say to you?" She said under her breath, but when she looked at him she realised he wasn't listening. He was pale and his chest was still heaving with fury, jaws twitching and fists clenching and unclenching convulsively.

"Wait! Just wait a minute!" She put a hand on his arm and forced herself to stand her ground and not flinch as spun round to face her. He was terrifying, his features still working with rage. "What happened – what did he say?" She spread her arms in inquiry.

He shook his head dismissively. She got the impression he was making an effort to calm himself. Without speaking he set off down the corridor again, which opened out into a large room, a sort of great hall.

As they entered, she got the sense of conversation suddenly gone quiet. In the huge round room there were rows of tiered benches arranged round the sides, a little like an auditorium. There were about a hundred other hunters standing or sitting around in the middle of eating, drinking, talking but they all stopped what they were doing to stare at them. The sight of all these piranha-jawed, lynx-eyed faces looking at them should have made her brain go numb with fear, but somehow she wanted to laugh. It was probably nerves but bizarrely she was reminded of one of those old westerns – when the piano stops playing the moment the gunslinger steps through the saloon doors. She had to make a superhuman effort not to give way to the hysterical impulse. As it was, her lips twitched slightly but she suppressed the urge and walked forward.

As the moved further into the room, R'Zuul stood up from one of the benches and walked over to them _"S'Kia, I hope you are in a better mood than you were when you woke up."_ He put a hand on his arm. It was clear that, despite any qualms he might about his judgement, Scar was still his favoured pupil. Not many fought and killed a queen on their first hunt, let alone survived the surgical removal of the larvae.

He shifted his gaze to the female _"And this is your little pet"_ He raised his brows " _You say she kills bugs? I would never believe it to look at her. She is certainly very small."_

" _She is not my pet."_ Scar said slowly, still struggling to regain control of his temper after the confrontation outside _"She is blooded too, remember? Her name is Lex."_

R'Zuul shrugged, communicating succinctly that as far as he was concerned human names were a matter of supreme indifference " _Get a grip on yourself, before your brain overheats._ _You will need to be calm, you must come to the inner chamber,"_ He said _"The council want to see you. Both of you."_


	2. Chapter 2

When they entered the council chamber, Lex could see that the hunters here were more senior than the ones she'd seen in the hall. They wore more clothes for a start, their armour was more ornate, their faces were rougher, spikier and their eyes looked more intelligent. They regarded the two of them steadily, seated on a dais under a huge display screen which showed a constantly changing star chart. The room was illuminated by its bluish light, giving everything a weird, ghostly appearance. She wondered if it was decorative or if it actually showed the ship's position. Probably the latter she decided. The hunters did not seem big on decoration.

She concentrated on keeping her expression neutral, her stance casual, but with every step into the room she felt herself shrinking inside her skin. She tried to make herself imitate the alien. He seemed totally at ease. He strode arrogantly into the room and came to a halt in front of the dais, waiting to be addressed. Behind them, R'Zuul came in and stood silently a little way off to one side. She felt rather than heard others come in – a crowd of curious onlookers, perhaps coming to see if he was going to be commended... or court-martialled.

" _Welcome back, S'Kia"_ said Nar'Jat, the head of the council _"We heard you did well on your first hunt – the council congratulates on becoming Sain'Ja."_

Scar bowed his head in acknowledgement but didn't speak.

 _"We also acknowledge the deaths of your brothers, Se'Krit and Selim. They died well."_

" _Yes."_ Scar didn't look up.

The croaking voice continued _"I see you have brought with you the ooman. R'zuul tells me you have marked her face with our clan blood mark. Why did you do this?"_

"Of course he knows…" thought Scar, but he knew this question was coming and he was ready for it _"I personally saw her fight and kill many of the hard meat. She showed no fear, even when the old queen had us cornered on an ice flow."_ he said, meeting the senior commander's eye _"I felt it was fitting."_

" _Hmmmm, and now she is here, on our ship – you felt that this too was necessary?"_ Nar'Jat said pointedly.

" _To leave her behind would have meant her demise."_

Khurshad, Nar'Jat's second in command, was glowering at him belligerently, his expression clearly stating that he would not have seen anything too terrible in the death of one more ooman.

Scar tried to keep his voice level, but he was irritated at being forced to publicly explain his actions. The truth was he'd made a spur-of the-moment decision, and he hadn't expected to be alive to see the consequences of it. _"She fought alongside me, I did not feel I could do that… honourably."_

* * *

Unable to understand what was being said, Lex quailed inwardly as the older hunter turned his deepset eyes to look at her but she forced herself to return his gaze steadily, her face a blank. She couldn't stop the flash of surprise in her eyes when he suddenly addressed her in perfect, if slightly throaty, English. Of course, he seemed much older than Scar – whom she guessed was lately out of adolescence, even if he was blooded or initiated or whatever it was – and she guessed these things had known about humans a long time.

"S'Kia says you are a warrior," he said "He says you fight well. It is true, I have seen you fight – the council saw you and he dispatch the queen. S'Kia has marked your face with the symbol of our clan, the Rough Skull clan. Do you understand what this means?"

She shook her head slightly dazed "It means you are now _Sain'Ja_ , a warrior of this clan. S'Kia has made you so and we must honour it. You may come and go as you please. No other may attack you without… a good reason.

" _That is my decision."_ he said loudly and in his own language for the benefit of the hushed crowd hovering round the edges of the room _"None may kill the ooman unprovoked. She is Sain'Ja and she has freedom of the ship."_

He turned back to her "But you also owe us duty."

"Oh great!" She thought "What duty?" she said weakly.

"To fight for us, to serve us. You will join a squad under the command of R'Zuul. Welcome to the Shadow of Death."

She was alarmed for a moment, wondering what he meant then she realised "Shadow of Death" must be the name of the ship.

He continued _"S'Kia_?" The younger hunter looked up _"It is your responsibility to make sure she is of use to us. You blooded her, now she is your burden. You are dismissed."_

* * *

Eating with the hunters for the first time turned out to be one of the single most disgusting, nauseating experiences of her life. For a start the food was not exactly appetising, it was a glistening mass of tubes and fibres and matter. She couldn't identify any of it. "What is it?" she whispered to Scar under her breath.

He'd looked at her for a moment before saying shortly "Not ooman." causing some sniggering further down the room. Once she'd got over her initial revulsion and managed to force some of it down, it wasn't too bad. It seemed to be mostly meat, tasting vaguely like underdone beef. She'd eaten worse. Travelling in wild places you soon learned to choke down whatever was put in front of you and not to complain, unless you wanted to go hungry.

It was the behaviour of her dinner companions that really turned her stomach. They were messy, they were noisy and they didn't seem to care if the person sitting next to them got splattered with grease or saliva or shards of bone. If she hadn't been so hungry she might not have been able to eat at all, but she concentrated her attention on the food and tuned out the noises of gristle being torn and bones being cracked.

Also, much to her alarm, a fight broke out between two of the hunters who were eating nearby. She didn't understand their language well enough to know what the fight was about (it erupted so quickly maybe she wouldn't have been able to tell even if she'd been fluent) but suddenly these two hulking creatures seemed to be intent on kill each other right in the middle of where everyone else was eating. Food was sent flying everywhere and benches were overturned as they slugged and grappled with each other. Nobody else seemed very surprised; Scar seemed mildly irritated by the whole episode. When she tried to ask him what had happened he just snorted in a way that suggested it wasn't worth his time to explain.

Over the next few days she was bored and depressed. Despite what the head of council had said, she didn't feel safe walking around the ship on her own. She'd already witnessed hunters attack each other without any very serious provocation that she could see – how good a reason would they really need to attack her? She didn't even like to go outside the room without Scar and he seemed to spend a lot of his time sleeping. She guessed he was recuperating; he still wore the dressings covering his wounds. He only left the room once or twice a day to get food. Several times she tried to screw herself up to go to the upper deck alone but she always thought better of it.

It was like being a prisoner and she spent most of her time gazing listlessly out of the window whilst he slept, listening to the hum of the ships engine. Without anything to occupy her, she couldn't stop herself from thinking about Earth, wondering what was going on with her foundation, with her friends. "I guess the Weyland Corporation will have told people that I went missing along with the rest of the team in Antarctica. Everyone probably thinks I died there – everyone I know probably thinks I'm dead. I wonder if they held a funeral. Guess not, as I haven't been missing long enough to be declared legally dead yet." She tried not to dwell on these morbid thoughts.

One day, R'Zuul came to the room _"You cannot stay in here sleeping forever."_ he said to Scar, tapping him hard on the forehead _"You will become flabby and weak. Get up and come to the gymnasium. Bring your pet. She looks like she is sickening."_

Lex was irritated by the way R'Zuul never spoke directly to her. She suspected he probably talked about her, although she could only understand the odd word of what he said. At least Scar actually spoke to her directly, even if he wasn't the world's greatest conversationalist – though she had to admit his English was improving and she was starting to understand him more. In the end she trailed along after them for something to relieve the monotony.

The gymnasium was not like any other gym she'd ever been in – apart from the all-pervasive smell of sweat that all gyms have. The padded walls were scored in many places and even bloodstained in some. Racks of nasty looking weaponry were arrayed along them.

She watched them go through a few bouts – first unarmed and then with wristblades. Despite herself, she couldn't help admiring the effortless way they moved around each other. Scar was faster and stronger than R'Zuul, but he did seem to be favouring his uninjured shoulder. It was a weakness the older hunter ruthlessly exploited. _"Pathetic! You need to strengthen this arm."_ R'Zuul said scornfully. _"You can crawl back to your pit and sleep now."_

" _No,"_ Scar replied, rubbing his shoulder _"I have slept enough."_

After R'Zuul had gone, he walked over to where Lex was sitting and motioned for her to stand up. When she didn't obey immediately, he reached down and pulled her to her feet. Without a word he walked over to a rack of weapons and pulled out a retractable spear, like the one he'd given her in the pyramid – the one she'd used against the serpents. He threw it at her feet but didn't take one for himself.

He walked a few paces off and stood facing her, beckoning to her. She was alarmed to see that he was getting into a fighting stance, lowering his head and shifting the muscles in his legs like a big cat about to spring.

"OK." She thought "I'm armed and he's not, he's giving me a sporting chance, which means he's probably not going to kill me. Not on purpose anyway. Oh shit…."

She circled him warily for a short while, seeing he was mirroring her movements. "What advantages do I have here?" she thought, mind working frantically "He's stronger than me, but he's also heavier – maybe slower? He's been injured…"

As she thought this he lunged and made a grab for her. Shocked into action she leapt backwards, determined to keep out of his long reach. Adrenalin made her heart race. Even if she suspected that he didn't intend to hurt her she was still wary of him, afraid of him even "Damn! Not _that_ slow then." She thought.

He circled her, arms outstretched, waiting for her to dodge to one side or the other and escape. "You must… come at me… sometime." He was grinning. She realised he was enjoying this.

That made her angry and she lunged at him with the spear. She had obviously surprised him as he only just managed to dodge the point by leaning backwards. As she drew the spear back he made a grab for her, which she just managed to evade by ducking under his arms.

She made another lunge and was ready to pull back faster this time. He snatched at where she had been moments before and was rewarded with a few strands of her long dark hair that came off in his fist.

She took advantage of his momentary misjudgement to lunge at him again and this time caught him on the shoulder. Just a scratch – a thin line of green blood on his leopard patterned skin – but he jumped back. Not taking his eyes off her he touched his shoulder lightly. Then he glanced down at the blood on his fingers. She expected him to get angry, but if anything his grin got wider and his eyes glittered excitedly. It was clear this was all a game to him.

Lex grinned back at him savagely "If you liked that," she thought "You're gonna love this."

She feinted to one side, waiting for him to react and then lunged at him again from the other side. She thought she'd been clever, but this time he was expecting it. As she stabbed the spear at him he dodged it easily, grabbed the handle just below the blade and pulled it sharply towards him. As she was jerked forward, caught off-balance, he swept her feet out from under her with one leg and she went sprawling, landing flat on her back.

She pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at him through narrowed eyes "Sneaky." He gave a purring laugh and another one of those head-shaky shrugs and threw the spear so that it clattered to the floor beside her. Picking it up, she squared up to him, twisting the spear in the way she'd seen him do back in Antarctica. The twin blades shot out of either end, with a sharp metallic noise – extending it to twice its length.

"You want to fight dirty?" She set her jaw "I can do dirty!"

* * *

Lex started spending the majority of her waking hours in the gymnasium. She'd decided that if she was going to be one of the boys she'd better get good at it. She was already in pretty good shape; years of climbing and trekking in some of the harshest terrains in the world had given her enviable muscular strength and an endurance of physical hardship. What she lacked was technique, and it was a steep learning curve.

For the first week at least she suspected Scar was not trying to injure her too badly. That wasn't to say he didn't hurt her sometimes if she was too slow, but mainly he was just trying to knock her down, to humiliate her. She quickly discovered that with the huge imbalance in their bodyweight and strength her only chance fighting against him – or any other hunter – _was_ to be sneaky. Once he got a grip he could easily overpower her and she racked up an impressive collection of injuries to prove it. She learned to stay out of reach, strike and retreat quickly. She got faster, her instincts got sharper. She found she could anticipate his movements better by watching his eyes.

Scar watched her gain in confidence. She became less hesitant, less self-conscious, acting more by feel. When he judged she was ready he started exerting himself more. He still had to hold back to avoid seriously injuring her, but found he had to do so less and less. Her small size meant she wouldn't ever be able to fight against him unarmed, but with a ki'cti-pa {trans: the combi spear} she frequently managed to draw his blood.

He threw himself into teaching her the use of the different weapons: the spear, the dah'kte wrist blades, swords of various sizes – she actually seemed to enjoy it. It was useful to have something to focus on now that he was back on the ship. The pyramid expedition had altered his life in the clan beyond recognition, both for better and for worse. He was now an adult and a warrior; that was good. But his elder brothers, Se'Krit and Selim _,_ were dead. He had to get used to being on his own.

Growing up together, the three of them were a force to be reckoned with even though they'd been juveniles. Although he would never admit it even to himself, he now felt their absence painfully. In his waking hours he could turn his mind away from them, think about other things, but every night they visited him in his dreams. Again and again he saw them die and knew he was powerless, he heard their scornful laughter or shared their agony.

A few times he'd woken covered in sweat and gasping for breath. Shaking off the grasping tendrils of another nightmare he would find himself in his quarters with the female sleeping deeply on the other side of the room. He wondered if he'd made any noise. In the dream he'd been howling at the top of his lungs. On balance, he thought it unlikely or she would surely have woken up. Whilst he was awake he would never show fear, but in the dreams he couldn't control it, and how he hated that. At least the ooman provided him with a distraction, whilst he was awake anyway.

One morning, when they entered the gym, some other members of the squad that he was friendly with – G'Rithik and Rika – were there doing a few practise exercises. They came over when they saw him. G'Rithik was the larger of the two, with greenish skin and an unusually protruding jaw. Rika was more of a sandy colour, like Scar, but shorter and squatter, with his mane tied back off his shoulders in a topknot.

" _S'Kia"_ said G'Rithik, with a glance at Lex, _"Where have you been? We heard you came back from the first hunt but we have not seen you. When do you start squad duty?"_

" _Fourteen days."_ Scar said with irritation _"R'Zuul is behaving like an elderly female. He is waiting for the medics to give me clearance to go off-ship."_

" _This is the ooman you marked?"_ Cut in Rika, jerking his head at Lex.

" _Of course she is, moron!"_ Snarled G'Rithik – he turned back to Scar _"I heard Nar'Jat said she could fight."_

" _Fight what?"_ snorted Rika _"She looks like she could not floor a juvenile!"_

Lex, who'd been standing listening to their conversation, moved closer. She'd been trying hard to learn their language and now found she could pick out the odd phrase, but most of their talk was still just noise to her.

From their body-language though, it was clear that she was being discussed, probably non-too favourably. As a black woman in the climbing world, she was no stranger to being the odd one out or having to work harder to prove herself. Often finding herself alone in a sea of white, male faces, past-experience of leading expeditions had taught her that if she was going to hold her own here, she had to assert herself. It was easy to be intimidated by all the macho chest-beating and posturing, but you had to show them early on that they couldn't mess with you. These might be aliens – but they were still male. She guessed the social mechanics probably weren't so very different. Besides they were still adolescents so, in a way, she had the edge on them.

She strode right up to the other two youngbloods and greeted them in their own language, the way she'd heard Scar do – back straight, looking at them almost belligerently, still holding the spear.

Both hunters eyes widened in surprise to hear her speak _"She understands what we say?"_ demanded Rika, looking sharply at Scar for confirmation.

Scar had to stifle a laugh at seeing the other suddenly disconcerted _"A few words. She is learning."_ He turned to Lex "G'Rithik and Rika." He said to her, nodding towards the other two.

Rika, the smaller of the two males, continued to regard her curiously, but G'rithik turned back to Scar and said _"So just how much of a weakling you have become S'Kia? R'Zuul led us to believe you were a virtual cripple. Are you up to going a few rounds or have your muscles all but withered away? I could do with a laugh. I promise to give you an easy time."_

Scar chittered in disgust _"Even if I were crippled I would be more than up to the modest challenge of beating you senseless!"_ He snorted derisively _._

" _What about the female?"_ said Rika suddenly _"Does she fight?"_

The other two larger yautja turned to look at him. _"An ooman female? I suppose she would be just about your level of ability."_ G'Rithik said with a nasty grin. Meanwhile, Scar quickly changed his fleeting expression of surprise to one of forced nonchalance. He'd known that at some point someone would challenge the ooman, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon.

She seemed to have picked up the drift of what was going on and was looking at him suspiciously. He considered that in some ways maybe this was for the best. Rika was small for a yautja and, more importantly, he didn't hold any particular grudge against Scar. He would probably not be trying to seriously injure her any more than was necessary to win the bout. _"Anyway, she has to be able to fight."_ He thought with a shrug _"Or she will not last long."_

He turned to Lex "Rika… challenges you." he said.

Lex stared at him for a moment. So this was the crunch. She was no longer worried about fighting against Scar. She was pretty sure he didn't want her dead. This other hunter was an unknown quantity, but it was pretty clear she couldn't back down without losing face. In any case, she surmised, this was her chance to gain at least some small amount of respect in the eyes of these two newcomers.

She nodded "Sei-I" – yes.

He spread a hand towards the weapons racks, indicating that she might choose. She picked up the ki'cti-pa. At least she knew how to use it and it extended her reach more than the sword or the blades.

She waited whilst Rika picked up a spear and stood, trying to be calm, to focus. In her peripheral vision she could see the other two looking on, expressionless. Rika stood opposite her, watching her. "He's smaller than Scar at least," she thought, "Still bigger than I am, but he's probably not expecting much from me – I've got to take him by surprise. As far as I can make out, there aren't any rules. Well here goes nothing."

She dropped into a fighting stance and, before the other realised what was happening, lunged at him and – as she did so – twisting the ki'cti-pa to extend the blades. The move caught him doubly off-guard and he had to bring his own spear up to deflect the blow. The two staffs slid along each other with a clatter and as quickly as she'd come forward she spun out of the way and attacked again from a different angle.

This time he was expecting it and clashed his own weapon against hers with a blow that sent shockwaves up her arms and almost threw her off balance but she managed to recover herself – just – and spring back.

He'd obviously decided to stop letting her dictate the pace of the action and charged her. Knocking the blade of her spear to one side, he swung one shovel-sized fist and caught her a glancing blow on the chin, knocking her backwards. She staggered but forced herself to ignore the pain and fell back further, trying to get out of his reach.

He pressed on towards her, aiming another blow at her head – she had to act quickly. She twisted under his arm and fell back onto her haunches. As she did so, she twisted the staff so that the one of the blades retracted into the handle and drove the end of it into his midriff under his guard as hard as she could, also hoping his own momentum would give the blow added force. She was rewarded with a winded-sounding gasp. She pulled the stick backwards quickly and with both hands drove it up, smashing it into his chin. As his head snapped backwards, she dropped to all fours and struck out with one booted foot in the direction of his legs, taking them out from under him.

She heard rather than saw him fall flat on his back. Scrambling to her feet, she threw herself on top of his prone body before he had a chance to get up, driving one knee into his stomach with all her weight. She held the bladed end of the ki'cti-pa pressed to his throat. Her opponent's pupils contracted as he focussed on her and he was suddenly still.

"There!" She panted, looking down into his astonished eyes "Enough?"

For a few seconds, no-one moved. Whilst she'd been fighting it was as if the rest of the room had faded away leaving only her and Rika. He goggled up at her in perplexity, unable to process what had happened. A noise reminded her they were not alone. She'd almost forgotten about the other two watching and turned to see them both staring at her in total stupefaction. The few other occupants of the gym had also stopped to watch them and were looking on open-jawed.

"Does he surrender?" She shouted at Scar, her voice sounding very loud in the sudden silence, the adrenalin still sluicing through her veins.

Staring at her, he gave a slight shudder, as if waking out of a trance "Yes." He croaked, finally remembering the ooman word.

Lex stood up, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. She felt exhilarated. It had all happened so fast she hadn't really even had a chance to think about what she was doing. Removing the spear blade from his throat, she walked slowly backwards, not wanting to turn her back on her opponent. What was the etiquette here – did she offer him a hand to shake or help him up or what?

Rika pushed himself slowly to his feet, shaking his head dazedly.

The silence was broken by an outburst of snarling laughter from G'rithik, _"You were wrong Rika, it appears she can floor a juvenile._ "


	3. Chapter 3

She was standing in the midst of a crowd of about ten other warriors, listening to snatches of conversation and trying to decipher what the various sounds meant – watching their movements. Lex still couldn't be at ease surrounded by so many hunters and part of her was always on edge, alert for any possible threat.

Scar stood next to her, his nonchalance the counterpoint to her tense state of mind. He exchanged the odd few words with his allies on the squad from time to time. A few feet away stood D'Kand and his group. Scar could see him in his peripheral vision, glancing over with undisguised loathing.

Since Scar had put him on the floor in front of his friends outside the meeting hall they'd avoided each other, but he knew it was only a matter of time before D'Kand would attempt to pay him back for the public humiliation. For now Scar treated him with a lazy contempt, as befitted an opponent that he'd managed to dominate so easily. He knew this would infuriate D'Kand even more but reasoned he'd deal with him when the time came.

The buzz of chatter died when R'Zuul entered the room. He stood waiting as the other members of the squad shuffled into a rough semi-circle around him _. "Squad"_ he said, looking around from face to face _"We ship out tomorrow for one of our smaller territories. This is not sport – it is work. Observe and report. We have been terraforming this planetoid into a game reserve and the council wants to know how it is shaping up."_

There were a few groans _, "Can the council not use surveillance droids for that kind of menial labour?"_ said H'Ritz, one of D'Kand's contingent.

" _SILENCE!"_ R'Zuul bellowed furiously and immediately the rumbles of discontent stilled, _"Some collecting and maybe a bit of extermination might be required. The sat droids have recorded some interesting life forms here but it seems they have been breeding quicker than we anticipated and destroying all the other game in their area. Feel free to access the records via the mainframe if you so wish. The council does not want them wiped out, just thin out the population a bit. If you happen to enjoy yourselves in the process, so be it."_ (laughter at this) _"They also want us to capture one or two specimens, maybe for study, perhaps to introduce them into some of the other reserves."_

" _You have 10 units {about 7 and a half hours} to get kitted up and then I want to see you back here – on time!"_ R'Zuul continued _"Make sure you have plasmacasters, netguns and I want you two - G'Rithik and Halkrath – to get me some specimen cases. You have your orders – get on with it."_

" _This is a joke,"_ growled H'Ritz again _"I am a warrior; I should not be doing surveillance. We are hunters, not gamekeepers!"_

Without even looking round, R'Zuul threw out one long arm and smashed him across the jaw, knocking him backwards. He slid to a stop on his back, spitting blood. Everything was suddenly very quiet.

" _Next time, I shall remove your empty head from your shoulders."_ Said R'Zuul dispassionately _"You are whining like a child. You say you are a warrior, start acting like one. It is your duty to do whatever I tell you to do without complaint. Now, get out of my sight."_

As the group dispersed, Lex turned to Scar and raised her eyebrows, "You know there are some problems in life that can't be solved with your fists, right?" She said, in an undertone.

" _Hrrrmmm."_ He pretended not to understand her meaning, although by now he knew enough to realise she was making fun of him.

She sighed _"I understood… not much of what R'Zuul said,"_ she said in his language holding her fingers together to indicate something small, _"Translate please?"_

She was trying more and more to use their language. She'd spent plenty of time travelling through parts of the world where very few people spoke English and knew that, no matter what else she did, not being able to understand them put her at a huge disadvantage. Here she was doubly different, a female and an alien. It made her even more of a second class citizen – so it was all the more imperative that she learn.

She had very little else to do so she spent a lot of her time trying to engage him in conversation, getting him to explain the meanings of words as much as his own limited human vocabulary would allow. Now, if he spoke slowly she could usually get the gist of what he was saying. Conversation had now stopped being painful and was merely horribly stilted.

" _We leave for the nearest planetoid in a few units."_ Scar told her slowly as they walked, _"You will need …tools… equipment."_

" _I understood most of that. What is it…,"_ she lapsed into English "What are we supposed to be doing there?"

He waved a hand "I do not know word… to watch, to see…to explore?"

"Reconnaissance? Observation?" she suggested.

"Perhaps," He said, not really knowing if that was right, "Also animal… control."

"Where are we going?" They were in an unfamiliar part of the ship.

"Have weapons… you need armour and…" He made a movement to indicate something covering his face.

They stopped in front of a thick steel door, the armoury. As they entered he tapped the door panel and some low-level lighting flickered into life. Lex let out a low whistle – it stretched back so far that the other end of the room was still in darkness.

He started sorting through the smaller pieces of kit, while she was looking at some of the more bizarre looking weaponry. He pulled together a more-or less useable set of body armour - some of it intended for adolescents, some of it for smaller adults.

She didn't have a facemask. Clearly, that would have needed to be specially made if it was to fit her properly and be of any use – but there was some ship issue breathing gear. It was a filter mask that she could use to convert the air of an alien planet into what she needed in the same way a facemask would have done.

"Will I have a _ssss…sivk'va-tai?_ " she asked, struggling to pronounce the weird syllables.

" _Yes!"_ He turned to her with a mandible bending grin, pleased that she'd remembered the word for plasma-cannon. _"If you can remember how to aim it."_ She made a face and an insulting gesture that he'd unwisely taught her as a joke.

They'd spent an interesting few days practising with a plasma weapon and it had certainly been a test of his reflexes. She was totally unprepared for the kickback from such a small gun and had nearly blown his head off. It had been the catalyst for a violent argument, with neither really understanding what the other one was shouting.

For the first few hours at least he'd felt the only safe place to stand was in the next room, but she seemed to be getting the hang of it. She couldn't yet use the shoulder-mounted plasma caster that most hunters carried. Having no mask, she would have no targeting system, but there was a handheld sidearm with a holster that she could carry. He considered that, given her small size, it would probably be a good idea for her to have a firearm. She would need it if the planetoid was populated by hostile life forms.

He gathered up the pile of armour plating and the mask and dumped it into her outstretched arms, then turned back to looking through the racks of weaponry. She'd expected the armour to be heavy, but in fact it was very lightweight _. "You, go back to the quarters and sleep."_ He said over his shoulder _"I will see you later."_

Lex regarded the back of his head with irritation "Yes master!" she said sarcastically under her breath.

* * *

The shuttle ride down to the planetoid was one of the single most terrifying and exciting things Lex had ever experienced. She sat in the cramped interior of the larger shuttle, the Umbra, crammed in amongst the rest of the squad. She heard the klaxon noise which signalled their exit from the mothership and felt the awful sensation in the pit of her stomach as the smaller shuttle detached from the larger and started to make planet fall. She'd been on some hair raising flights in her life but nothing like this. It was like taking a parachute jump whilst still inside the plane but from space rather than just a few miles up. She was grateful for the face mask, it stopped them all from seeing her turn pale and break into a cold sweat and she didn't want to show any signs of weakness. She tried desperately to distract herself from her own private panic by watching the rest of the squad.

Most of them looked relaxed enough, strapped into their harnesses. One or two, though, did look tense, like they might be having the same trouble as her in holding onto their lunch. It was difficult to tell under their masks, but she'd been studying their body language for a while now and definitely thought G'Rithik looked like he was in some sort of discomfort.

The falling seemed to go on for ever. She almost gasped with alarm when she felt a slight burst of turbulence as they entered the atmosphere and then a sickening lurch as the engines fired up, slowing their descent. After an eternity, she felt the Umbra give a final, bone-jarring shudder and then everything was still. Seeing others around her getting up, she stood up too. She was irrationally keen to get off the shuttle and onto firm ground before it could move again.

The hatch opened. After the long semi-dark of the ship, the natural light made her blink for a moment. She hadn't realised until now what a twilight world she'd been living in – her eyes had gotten used to the dim artificial lights.

As she walked slowly down the gantry and felt the springy ground under her feet she was aware of a buzz of noise all round her and as her eyes adjusted to the outdoor light she was amazed to see a huge rainforest all around her.

"It's … beautiful" She breathed quietly.

Giant trees towered on either side of them, like the vaulted ceiling of some green and living cathedral. Strange insects whirred and clicked all around her and she tilted back her head to see clouds drifting past overhead. For one moment she felt as if she were back on Earth but she resolutely stifled the thought – she knew she wasn't. Her second impulse was to rip off her own mask and take a deep breath of real air, but she didn't. She knew that the atmosphere was not breathable.

" _What a backwater dump this is!"_ Scar stood directly behind her, gazing round at the landscape without enthusiasm.

Lex glanced at him over her shoulder, faintly amused. His petulant attitude made a stark contrast with his appearance. In full armour he was like something out of the pages of ancient mythology, especially now the mask hid his bizarre, inhuman face. Terrifying but imposing. Not that she would ever have told him this. "No sense in stoking his adolescent ego any higher. It might result in some sort of small, nuclear reaction." She smiled in the privacy of the mask.

Come to that she wondered what she looked like, covered from head to toe in armour, bristling with alien weaponry. She was carrying a combistick and a short sword in a holder on her back, a holster with the plasma-caster on her hip and a dagger in her boot. She was even wearing a pair of wristblades concealed along the length of her forearms that shot out with a ring of metal when she touched the catch in her palm. She'd plaited her long black hair into a single braid and twisted it into a tight knot on top of her head to get it out of the way. It was that or cut it all off.

" _Squad,"_ R'Zuul said loudly – his voice echoing round the clearing, _"The droids have reported a large amount of activity from previously unseen specimens in sectors ranging all over the planet. From the footage we have it is hard to determine their precise nature but we know they've been taking down some of the larger species here. We are going to track them down and collect specimens."_ He looked around at the assembled faces.

" _I want a wide sweep so you are going to move in twos, we will cover more ground that way. Halkrath you are with me, S'Kia, you can take your pet with you – the rest of you pair up and spread out. You all have your sat-coms – so record these co-ordinates. And stay in radio communication. Any problems we will regroup back here."_

As he assigned them all their various sectors to cover, D'Kand sauntered past Scar and said, not quite loud enough for R'Zuul to hear, _"Stuck minding the subspecies again, S'Kia? Let us hope you do a better job looking out for your ooman pet than you did for your companions on your first hunt of the hard meat."_

" _I appreciate your concern,"_ Scar said calmly (noticing the other didn't quite dare to mention Selim and Se'Krit by name) _"But perhaps you should be more worried about who is going to look out for you. We all know you cannot think and walk at the same time. "_

" _I can take care of myself!"_ Snarled D'Kand, leaning forward threateningly, his mask inches away from Scar's.

" _I cannot imagine an inbred moron like H'Ritz is going to be much use watching your back,"_ Scar drawled nonchalantly, as if the other hadn't spoken _"Although… it will be pleasant for the two of you to spend some time alone together. I know how much you both enjoy polishing each others weapons..."_

There was a momentary silence from D'Kand which quickly gave way to fury as he caught the insinuation _"You shut your filthy mouth! If any of us here is a deviant abomination, it is you!"_ He roared, his voice getting louder and louder as he struggled to control himself. Scar stood watching him, a lazy grin spreading over his face underneath his mask.

" _D'Kand! S'Kia!"_ R'Zuul bellowed _"Tell me you are not squabbling like a pair of juveniles!"_

" _Not at all R'Zuul,"_ Scar turned to look at the squad leader _"D'Kand was just giving me some friendly advice."_

* * *

" _So they call me your pet?"_ Lex pushed her way through shoulder high ferns.

" _You understood that?"_ Scar glanced down at her, impressed _"You are getting better at real language."_

"Don't change the subject," She spat in English, "Is that what they said?"

He was quiet for a moment _"D'Kand is a…."_ he searched for a human word that was insulting but could think of none that he knew, finally settling for a finger wriggling gesture which she very much hoped meant ' small worm' or 'maggot'.

" _Do not regard him."_ He concluded.

They moved on in silence for a while – out of necessity. The terrain had stopped being just rainforest and had become a mangrove swamp. It was getting hard to tell where the ground ended and the water began. The sounds were different too. She could hear the high-pitched whine of some mosquito-like insects swarming round them, and other things croaked and chirruped constantly. Pools of steaming algae-filled water, rippled occasionally by unseen life, lay all round them. The trees looked strange here, tortured, blackened and twisted where they rose out of the water on stilt-like roots.

Despite herself, Lex was enraptured by the alien beauty of the place. Back home she'd travelled all over the world but places like this she always felt were some of the strangest to be in… and the loneliest. Somehow they were more remote even than the frozen wastes of mountains or the desert. Here, you were surrounded by life – strange, unknown life – going about its own business, totally unaware of you. Here more than those empty wildernesses, you were made to feel like an intruder.

It was tiring making any progress, patches of wet ooze sucked at her boots. If they hadn't been strapped on tightly they'd have been pulled off her feet. She tried to avoid stepping in the water as much as she could, apprehensive about what might be beneath the surface.

Scar, meanwhile, was wondering whether there was anything they could do to speed up their sweep. The ground was treacherous, but when he looked up at the canopy he could see it was too dense here with branches and creepers and hanging vines for him to consider moving upwards to the treetops. Here the greenery was so closely packed it'd be like jumping into a grinder. Hardly any sun penetrated except a watery, green light filtering through uncountable layers of foliage.

In truth, he didn't mind being paired up with the female – despite the mockery of the others. He cared nothing at all for the opinion of D'Kand and his friends and although he respected R'Zuul, that did not mean he had to agree with everything his captain said. This was partly down to his cast-iron self-confidence but it was also because, for all his posturing, Scar was one of the more intelligent members of his species. He knew now that brute strength didn't always guarantee victory. Even if he hadn't known it before, it was a lesson that his first hunt had forcibly imprinted on his adolescent mind. His brothers had been stronger than him, bigger than him and yet he'd walked out of the arena of combat alive – just. They had not.

What had ensured his survival was the ability to think and plan – and co-operate, and to no small extent he knew he also had her to thank. He even wondered if they underestimated oomans in general. R'Zuul and the others dismissed them as a lesser race, stupid and feeble, but he'd watched Lex, physically small and weak as she seemed, go up against impossible odds and win through intelligence and courage. She'd learned to use their weapons, she was quickly learning to speak their language and he was surprised to find that in an odd way he liked her company. She was undemanding to be around.

Also, in his heart of hearts, he suspected she might be smarter than him. This thought galled him intensely.

" _What are we looking for?"_ Her question roused him out of his thoughts _"And how much more distance…have we to cover?"_

" _It will take us at least one solar circuit, maybe two"_ He was guessing _"It is a big area, but we have supplies and even after those are gone, there is water here and plenty of animal life."_

Now it was her turn to be quiet as she concentrated on slogging through the apparently endless jungle. Finally, after what felt like hours, she stopped and leaned against the roots of a large tree "We can't just keep blindly going on." She said "We've been walking for ages and I haven't seen anything bigger than a few of those birdlike things."

He flicked his mask through a couple of different vision settings, scanning for heat signatures, movement and EM fields. _"My scanner is not showing any large size life-forms in this area. Whatever this thing it is that R'Zuul wants us to find, it is most likely not in this sector."_ He looked at his wrist-com, trying to triangulate their position, and pointed off into the swamp, _"There is higher ground that way. The swamp must end there."_

They carried on for an hour or so and Lex noticed the ground getting firmer underfoot. The forest continued, but it was less dense, more light was getting through. She noticed that there seemed to be fewer ferns here and more flowers and moss.

The sun was starting to set but it was still blazingly hot, large clouds of vapour or dust floating overhead gave the sky a greenish appearance. She wondered what was in the atmosphere to make it that colour. Whatever it was, it wasn't the same as earth. The one time she'd slipped off her mask to have a drink of water she'd had to screw her eyes tightly shut, as the air stung them and made them water.

They'd emerged from under the trees to stand at the edge of a small, rocky plain. The ground that was exposed here was sandy and the trees were reduced to a few straggly saplings managing to cling on to cracks in the rock. There must have been a volcano here at one time, looking at the smooth, flowing appearance of the rock.

Huge columns of steam rose from pools of a bubbling, black viscous substance were dotted amongst the stone formations. Even at a distance, she could feel a scalding, sticky heat rising from the stuff and she was grateful for the mask which protected her eyes and throat from the fumes. She tried to get a closer look "It must be tar, or maybe oil – Damn! I'd be rich if I found something like this back on earth!" she thought.

" _The sat-com shows a large body of liquid on the other side of this plain."_ He told her _"We should go that way. It is probable that life-forms in the area will gravitate towards it."_

As they started out across the rocks, Lex found herself instinctively avoiding the seething, black pools. Apart from the heat, there was something about them she didn't like. She couldn't explain it, but some sixth sense was making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

Scar didn't seem to share her caution and set off across the plain by the most direct route.

"Hey!" she called after him "I think we should try to find another way round - "

He half-turned to look at her. Before he could speak, the pit nearest to him suddenly exploded, erupting in a shower of burning hot liquid. Scar didn't even look round, he just leapt, flinging himself away from the direction of the noise. Ropes of shining blackness splattered down onto the rocks where he'd been standing a split-second before.

Both stood transfixed for a second, staring. The dark pool seemed to have expanded into the air. Long tendrils of blackness thrust out of it and slithered with unpleasant speed across the ground towards them, followed by a huge pulsating, glistening mass that heaved its bulk up onto the edge of the pit.

"God almighty!" she yelled "What the hell is it?"

" _Just get back!"_ he snarled, as the thing sent what seemed like a forest of thrashing, searching tentacles towards them. They sprang aside in opposite directions out of reach of the questing, wriggling, black snakes. Whatever it was, the thing didn't seem to have any sort of permanent shape. It shifted and changed constantly, flowing first into one form and then another. Sometimes it looked like a liquid, sometimes solid. It seemed to still be hot from the black oily liquid, it was steaming.

She saw Scar reach back over his shoulder and draw his twin swords. As the smoking limbs writhed closer him he slashed at them, severing two or three with a single stroke. As they both watched in horror, the wriggling appendages liquefied and flowed unnaturally along the ground to rejoin the heaving black mass.

He tried again, with the same result. It was clear this wasn't getting him anywhere. He pulled out a chakt'ra disc and threw it as hard as he could right into the largest part of the writhing hulk. It disappeared, the blackness closing over it with a sucking sound, but didn't seem to have any effect.

Lex drew her own sword and hacked at a few limbs that came too close. " _It is not working!"_ she yelled.

Scar targeted his shoulder cannon at the thing and fired several short bursts at it. The creature shrank back slightly and the part of it that was hit sizzled and quivered but almost immediately it seemed to recover and surge forward again.

" _We should get to the trees,"_ he said, without taking his eyes off the creature _"We are too exposed here."_

" _Fire!"_ She said, her voice breathless from leaping over the twisting black ropes. _"It is covered in oil – make it… burn!"_

He nodded to her and pulled an incendiary grenade.

" _Alright then,"_ He snarled _"Run!"_ and activated it, slipping out the catch and hurled it into the squirming mass. Then he turned and sprinted towards the forest for cover. He saw she'd already made it to the trees and hurled himself down, covering his head with his arm.

As the bomb detonated the world went white and orange for a moment. It blew a huge hole in the middle of the creature, spattering sticky fragments everywhere and the substance which coated it exploded into vivid flames, spreading quickly. As they turned to watch from a safe distance, the thing thrashed wildly, spraying the burning black sludge all over its surroundings. The air was filled with a squealing noise, as the oil crackled and hissed. After a while its movement slowed and then ceased altogether as its serpentine limbs started to char and wither in the fire.

" _Good idea."_ He looked down at her.

"Nice throw."She raised her eyebrows at him through the mask's transparent visor.

" _This must be one of the things we are looking for,"_ He said frowning at the twisted shape, collapsing in on itself as it burned _"Unfortunate I had to kill it. The council wants a specimen."_

"I can't imagine there is only one of them out there." She said; then her eye was caught by something "Look!" She whispered "Those parts of it are moving! They're still alive!"Shepointed to the edge of the where a few fragments of the creature had been thrown clear of the blaze. They were wriggling, crawling slowly along the ground like slimy, black leeches.

As they watched, a small beetle-like insect scurried across the warm stone, past one of the slivers of black goo. Unwisely it scuttled too close and suddenly the ooze surged forward and enveloped it. The globule of sludge seemed grow, increasing slightly in volume and now moving towards the edge of the stones more purposefully.

" _It is trying to get away, maybe go to ground and find more food! I wonder if each part of it can become a whole one?"_ She looked around _"Do you have.._ a container? Anything …..watertight?" She cupped her hands together, as if catching something between them.

He thought for a moment and reaching up behind his back, unclipped one of his water containers. Flipping up his mask briefly, he drank some, tilting his head back and pouring it into his open jaws. Then he offered it to her – she drank with eyes tight shut against the stinging air and then flipping her mask back quickly, holding her breath until the air was breathable again. Then he emptied the rest of its contents onto the ground. Pulling out a long, thin knife from a sheath on his leg he picked up one of the slug-like strands with the blade and tipped it carefully into the flask, avoiding any contact with his skin. Then he screwed the lid on tightly.

He methodically burned the other remnants of the creature, using his infra-red targeting beam to heat them until they too sizzled and combusted – shrivelling up in the failing light of the sun.

Scar touched the communiqué button on his sat-com _"R'Zuul, it is S'Kia."_

" _S'Kia, where are you?"_ the signal was faint and quiet, they must be far away.

" _I believe we encountered one of your life-forms."_ He replied _"We have a specimen and we are coming back."_

* * *

The light was failing as they started making their way back through the trees. It was still bright enough for Lex to see and she was walking ahead – keen to get back before night finally fell. Scar had switched to infrared vision and so didn't need the daylight. She had pretty good night vision, but when night fell in earnest she was going to have to start following him or she'd end up at the bottom of a swamp. The forest seemed to be even more filled with strange noises now that it was dusk.

As Lex entered one clearing, she looked round and gave a delighted breath: seeming to shimmer in the bluish twilight stood a clump of huge, unreal-looking flowers. She moved forward to get a closer look and then looked round for Scar. He just behind her but was consulting the sat-com and wasn't looking in her direction. She shrugged, he wouldn't appreciate the flowers anyway. If something wasn't a threat or quarry, his interest ended there.

They _were_ beautiful. They looked like some giant species of exotic, translucent orchid – pulsating with ever-changing waves of colour. The larger blooms had sprays of smaller flowerlets hanging off them like garlands of blossom and they glowed with their own luminescence. As she walked towards them, she could see that at the heart of each flower were sprouts of glistening, black stamens.

"HHLex," She turned at the sound of his voice "We need to go… this way" He jerked his head back the way they'd come, still not really looking at her.

She was still drawn towards the blossoms. As she got closer the unearthly phosphorescence seemed to intensify.

" _Scar,"_ she called, _"Do you know what these are?"_

The next few seconds happened in slow motion. As she neared the flower one of the blossoms seemed to quiver, as if stirred by a non-existent breeze in the dead, still air. She heard a noise like a sigh and the orchid fired a shower of sharp, little stamens at her. Next thing she sensed movement behind her and saw his hand in front of her face. A cluster of little fleshy thuds. She watched, startled, as he staggered back clutching his wrist. The noise of the impact was like waking from a dream and for a moment she was totally bewildered.

When she looked round, he was staring at the spines sticking out of his palm and cursing.

"What the hell was that?! _"_ She tried to grab hold of his wrist.

" _Do not touch them!"_ He growled, snatching his hand away and obviously struggling to keep his temper " _They are poisonous."_

" _Are you going to…"_ She couldn't finish the sentence, panic closed her throat.

"If he does die," She thought, "I'll be stranded alone here. I'm not sure I even could find the way back to the shuttle."

" _Miasma flower."_ He said through jaws clenched with suppressed violence " _Not fatal, just …incapacitating."_

"Why did you do that?" She raged, trying to stay angry to combat the rising fear, "My mask would have protected me!"

" _Is there a brain inside your tiny skull or is it just an echo chamber?_ _"_ He held up his palm _"_ _They would pierce it, s_ _ee."_

She looked at his palm. Now she could see how far the spikes had punctured and knew he was right. If the spikes could penetrate that deep into his tough skin, the mask would not have stopped them. She could have lost an eye.

With his uninjured hand he pulled out his medikit and fumbled with it for a moment with clumsy fingers. When he couldn't get it open it himself he shoved it at her _"Open it."_ She looked through the metal box and pulled out something like a small pair of pliers. He snatched them from her with an ill-tempered snarl and began trying to pull the barbs out himself, but after a few minutes he was having too much trouble co-ordinating his movements. Finally he allowed her to do it, muttering curses against all stupid, squishy-brained oomans under his breath.

 _He_ didn't even really understand why he'd acted as he had, allowing himself to get injured instead of her. True, she would have been much worse off than he currently was if the thing had hit her in the face, but so what? _"She is lucky I acted on instinct before I had a chance to think about what I was doing."_ He thought angrily _"Or I should have let the ungrateful soft meat get a face full of plant spines!"_

He looked at his satcom – trying to decipher the little red characters – but the poison was already starting to affect his vision. Colours seemed ultra-bright and the shapes were distorted, the lights leaving smeary traces behind them when he moved his arm. He squinted – trying to make sense of them. He looked at Lex, she seemed to be shifting weirdly in and out of focus. It occurred to him that the longer they stayed here, the more disorientated he would become.

" _We have to get back to the shuttle – there are more med-supplies there."_ He said, his own voice sounding strange and echoey in his ears.

He stood up, and almost lost his balance – just managing to stop himself falling over by leaning against a tree trunk. He didn't feel weak, but he just couldn't seem to co-ordinate his arms and legs. Even breathing was making him feel light-headed.

When Lex put a hand on his arm, he spun round as if he'd forgotten she was there, almost knocking her down. _"Come on,"_ she said _"You cannot walk on your own, lean on my shoulders."_

" _I do not need your help!"_ He protested, slurring his words slightly, and trying to walk again. He managed to go a few steps before he realised he had no idea which direction the shuttle was in. The forest wavered in front of his eyes as if he were seeing it through a heat-haze.

Lex watched him reeling to one side. It must be quick acting toxin she thought. He had always seemed in total control of his body before. She'd never before seen him make a clumsy or an awkward movement – if he'd been female you would have called him graceful, but the word didn't quite fit a seven-foot tall, armour plated killing machine – now he was staggering about like he was drunk.

" _Look,"_ She came up behind him and slipped under his arm, _"It is this way, you said. Just put your weight on me, stupid!"_ When he did lean on her, he was so heavy her knees almost buckled.

" _Do not sssspeak to me like that."_ He snarled blearily, head weaving from side to side as he tried to focus on her face only a few inches away, and failed completely.

They managed to stagger on for a few metres but his co-ordination was getting worse by the second and weird things were happening to both his vision and his hearing. Her voice had strange harmonics that bounced around inside his skull for a few seconds after she spoke and he seemed to be hearing things, Voices that came creeping out of the jungle all round them, just barely audible. They were saying his name, calling to him, whispering strange, broken sentences that were unpleasant or made no sense.

On the edge of a small depression in the ground his foot caught on a coiling tree root and they both went down, half-rolling, half-sliding to the bottom of the slope in a swearing, struggling heap.

Lex managed to disentangle herself and looked down at him lying sprawled on the floor. _"_ Come on!" she said grabbing an arm and trying to pull him upright "Get up! You can walk."

" _I cannot see!"_ He bellowed at her. It was almost totally dark now. He fumbled with the controls on his mask – flipping between vision settings, trying to find a better one – none of them seemed to alleviate the problem. Infrared was just a shifting mass of colours, EMI {Electro-Magnetic Impulse} was even more horrible – a shadow world of feathery lines. In the end he flipped it to back to a normal setting – it didn't help but at least it wasn't so confusing.

" _I can see. Just stand up and I will help you. We will get to the shuttle."_ She hauled at his arm again.

" _Are you going to carry me all the way?"_ He started to laugh hysterically – but once he started, he couldn't stop. He laughed until he was literally gasping for breath and then pulled himself up to lean back against a fallen tree trunk, chest still heaving.

"Come on you stupid son-of-a-bitch!"She pulled both his arms again this time but he threw her off, knocking her to the floor. _"Get off me."_ He said irritably, shaking his head and swiping his hand at her as if swatting a fly _"What do you want?"_ He seemed almost to have forgotten what was happening.

Lex tried to get him to stand up a few more times, but finally she had to admit defeat. He was too heavy. If he didn't want to move then she couldn't budge him. In the end she crouched down in front of him, lifted his masked face in her hands and shook him. Without being able to see his eyes, she couldn't tell if he was still conscious.

" _Scar, listen to me!"_ She shook him again and slapped him hard on the side of the head, hurting her hand on the metal mask – but at least this time she heard him grunt in acknowledgement _"Can we not contact R'Zuul or the others?" S_ he asked.

He shook his head again, _"They are at least a click away."_ That was probably true, he thought, but he also didn't know who would get to them first if he did. Confused as he was, he still felt very strongly that it would not be good for D'Kand and H'Ritz to stumble across them alone if he was in this state, especially after their earlier exchange.

"Fine," She said in English, "If you won't move, we'll have to stay here. But we're going to need fire." It wasn't exactly cold, the tropical climate of the planet meant even the night was warm and slightly sticky, but she didn't know what other animals might be sniffing around and a fire would make her feel better than this treacly darkness that was closing in on all sides.

She looked around the small gully they'd fallen into and collected together a few armfuls of dead wood. Eventually, she managed to light a fire. It was no easy task. Everything was saturated with condensation in the damp, clinging heat.

Scar had gone quiet whilst she'd been doing this, leaning back against the fallen trunk with his head tilted back, weaving from side to side as he looked up into the trees. Occasionally his head jerked to one side or the other – following the movements of something she couldn't see.

Coloured motes floated across his vision and it seemed to his swimming eyes that the tree tops burned with a green light and their branches moved slowly, winding around one another like a roiling canopy of snakes.

Lex was about to sit down when she heard a rustling noise. Something big was pushing its way stealthily through the undergrowth at the lip of the gully. Looking up she saw eyes glinting in the light from the fire and then a large blunt head emerging from the ferns around the top of the slope. It looked vaguely like a lizard, but huge, the size of a lion. Its head was surrounded by jutting spikes of bone, making a frill round its neck. The eyes were huge, black and unpleasantly bulbous – like those of an insect. As it started to prowl slowly down the incline another movement caught her eye and she saw two more like it had also pushed there way through the foliage and were making their stealthy way towards them.

Moving as little as possible, she nudged him with one foot "Scar?"

His head turned towards her _"Hrrrrrrrrrmmmm?_ "

Silently she nodded towards the lizards. His head swayed round to look but he just couldn't make himself focus on what was happening. From one moment to the next, the real movements of the lizards were merging in his vision with the swirling hallucinations he could see all around them. The fire was especially mesmerising to look at.

Lex froze for a moment and then she remembered her gun. The first lizard reached the foot of the slope – it was clear that it was getting ready to strike. Moving her hand slowly to her hip she wrapped her fingers the around plasma cannon's grip and slipped the safety off, hearing the electrical whine as the gun charged up. Then she whipped it from its holster and fired at the nearest lizard. She wasn't a particularly good shot, but at this range she didn't have to be. Its head blew apart in a shower of blood, bone and sparks and it flopped down, obviously dead.

She swung the barrel up to cover the other two, but they were already fleeing in alarm.

Despite herself she laughed "Hah, that's right" she said out loud "Come on boys, I'll take you altogether or one at a time!"

She clicked the safety back on and sat down on the tree trunk next to the hunter, who turned to look at her: _"What are you shooting at?"_ he asked blearily.

" _Do not worry,"_ She gave a humourless smile, sitting down on the trunk next to him and looking down at him. _"I took care of it."_

" _Oh gooood."_ He lolled his head backwards and took a huge breath, his brain tingling in a not-totally-unpleasant way " _Feeling pleased with yourself that you have finally managed to hit something, hrrrrmmm?"_

"I could always just leave your wasted ass here to get eaten. _"_ She said evenly, in English.

In his intoxicated state, it took him a moment to decode her meaning and then he sniggered, the noise echoing unpleasantly inside his mask.

" _You would not be so disrespectful if I were not lying here pumped full of plant venom."_ He said drunkenly, shutting his eyes and breathing deeply, trying to close out the visual hallucinations so that he could concentrate on forming the words.

"I _am_ really sorry about that." Her tone was slightly defensive.

"Sorry?" _I do not know that word, what does it signify?"_

" _It means I am… unhappy… that my actions caused you to be… injured."_

" _Har har! A contemptible ooman word if ever I heard it! Soon you will be far less happy! There are plenty of other creatures creeping round this shithole. Just hope that one of those black …things... does not come down here."_

" _I am sure I could handle it."_ She snapped.

He laughed again _"Is this what you are like with other_ 'humans'?"(She noticed that for the first time he'd used her word rather than his for her species).

" _What do you mean?"_ She asked.

" _Stubborn, aggravating, making their lives difficult_?" He waved a taloned hand vaguely.

"You'd better believe it."She grinned.

" _Ha! I do believe you."_ He opened his eyes and looked at her for a moment. This close to he could see her black eyes reflecting the firelight under the mask _–_ and then the image twisted and morphed. The shiny, black mask with eyes glittering inside changed and became the face of the hard meat with glinting teeth – drooling and swaying above him. Immediately he shot out a hand to seize her by the throat. Luckily, his impaired co-ordination meant he just managed to grab a handful of the front of her suit. She was taken totally by surprise and started struggling – twisting this way and that to try and free herself.

Desperately she swung the hand holding the plasma cannon and hit him across the head with the butt of the gun – his metal mask making a hollow clang. The blow seemed to have no effect, except to enrage him further. He pulled her closer to his face, his growl becoming deeper. "Scar!" she yelled into his face – he gave no sign he'd heard her. The growl made her own mask reverberate and the hairs rise on the back of her neck.

" _Stop! Get off me idiot!"_ She yelled in his own language, at the same time kneeing him hard in the chest. That seemed to wake him up from whatever vision he was currently seeing.

Her eyes swam into focus again, blinking rapidly with shock. Instantly he released her. She fell backwards and hurriedly scrambled to the other side of the fire, out of arms-reach.

"What the hell - !"She began to launch into a tirade.

" _I feel … strange. Everything is moving… "_ He groaned and covered his eyes with his hands, to try and shut the strangeness out. She eyed him suspiciously, staying on her side of the fire.

They were both silent for a while and the swirling visuals and whispers came creeping back even with his eyes closed. His own breathing sounded incredibly loud to him and he found himself wondering what would happen if he lost consciousness – would he stop breathing? Would he join his brothers in the void? The thought of Se'Krit and Selim sent his mind spinning off down a darkening spiral. He wished she would talk again. He needed the distraction, to try and shut out the bewildering hallucinations. He focussed his efforts on stringing words together to try and make her speak.

" _What did you do? Back on the human planet – you were a…a warrior there too?"_ he asked.

 _No,"_ She said, surprised. He'd seldom expressed any interest in her world or her life before, _"No, I was – I am – a climber – I climb… rocks… no… big rocks… mountains."_

" _Why?"_

" _I guess – to see if I could do it,"_ she said slowly, slightly nonplussed by the question, _"And because my father did it."_

" _My father,"_ He said _"Was a greeeaaaat warrior, who sired hundreds of offspring."_

" _Your mother must have been exhausted."_ She said dryly.

" _Not all on her!"_ He gave an exasperated snort of derision _"On many different females!"_ He spoke as if she were dense

" _Humans have got words for males like that…"_ She observed.

" _When I am permitted to breed,"_ He continued, ignoring her _"That is what I will do."_

" _Permitted?"_ She frowned _"What is to stop you?"_

" _No male or female may reproduce without the permission of the clan."_ He said _"Is it not the same for humans?"_

" _Not ….really,"_ She smiled inside her mask _"It is totally different for humans – we do not have to ask anyone's permission – except the human you are breeding with!"_

" _You mean you just reproduce unregulated? With nothing to make sure that only the strongest adults get to produce young, to weed out the weaker ones?"_ He asked, in tones of disgusted disbelief _"No wonder your species are all so feeble."_

" _If you are all so brave and almighty,"_ She snapped _"Then how is it you need permission from someone else just to breed?!"_

That seemed to shut him up for a moment. Then he asked _"So … on your planet_ , _you have offspring then?"_

" _What?"_ She looked at him in irritation, but he wasn't looking at her. His face was still tilted up to the sky – head leaning back against the tree trunk.

" _Offspring; a male human has fertilised you? You have spawned?"_ He said, shifting as another wave of the poison made his muscles spasm.

She was momentarily annoyed, but then thought that perhaps to his way of thinking he wasn't being rude. He probably wasn't saying anything out of place by his species standards _._

There had been plenty of men in her life, a string of (if she was honest) failed relationships. They always started hopefully enough. At first they would be impressed and excited by her independence; they told her she was a "free-spirit" (the expression had always made her want to throw up). Eventually the arguments would start: She was arrogant, egotistical, unemotional, she undermined them, she emasculated them, and so on….

What they'd seen as independence became stubbornness, her 'free-spiritedness' became selfishness. She didn't see why she should change to suit them and they would slink away with their tails between their legs, angry and resentful _._

" _No,"_ She said shortly _"I have not."_

" _That is very unfortunate."_ He pronounced solemnly _"It is surprising you have not been able to find a male willing to fertilise you. You are strong, healthy, you seem to be without obvious deformities. This would suggest that you are probably genetically desirable, for a human I mean. It is hard for me to judge, you all look so similar."_

"Gee, thanks."She said sarcastically.

" _Do human males not look for these qualities in a reproductive partner?"_ He asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine." She sighed in English.

" _I do not understand you."_ He shook his head groggily.

"I mean, I don't know!" She said, exasperated.

" _So … you do not know why do human males not want to fertilise you?"_ He persisted _"Do you have some hidden genetic defect? Some disease?"_

"Jesus!" She got up, feeling distinctly uncomfortable,

" _Because if you were a female of my species,"_ He continued, still slurring his words _"I_ _would probably try to inseminate you. You are impressive… for a female…. of a subspecies."_

"You can shut your big ugly mouth now!" She said.

He didn't understand her words, but he understood her tone. When he spoke again he sounded amused _"It is a compliment. You should be flattered!"_

" _Oh really!"_ She put her hand on her hip _"Hard as it may be for you to believe, you are not exactly my idea of attractive!"_

" _But I am the best! Certainly of all the males on the squad I am the most desirable!"_ He said incredulously _"R'Zuul is clever and he used to be strong but now he is old and slow. D'Kand is strong, but he is a half-wit. The others are not worthy of consideration. My genetic material would be far superior to any of theirs. If you were yautja I would be your optimum choice."_

She laughed at him for several minutes.

He seemed as if _he_ might be offended now _"If this is how you behave with human males, I now see why you have not achieved success in breeding."_

"Boy, are you ever in love with yourself!" She said in English, still laughing, unable to tell if he was trying to make her angry.

" _What?"_ He snapped, confused by the odd human phrasing.

"I mean could you _be_ any more conceited?"

 _That_ he understood _"It is no conceit to speak the truth; I_ _ **am**_ _the best!"_ He said indistinctly, head rolling backwards again. _"One day you will realise this. Then you will appreciate what an enormous compliment I have just paid you."_

She watched him for a while from across the flames to see if he'd say any more but after a while it was clear he was unconscious, having finally succumbed to the effects of the venom. She sat down again on the opposite side of the fire, and smiled wryly to herself. She couldn't help but be amused by all this adolescent bravado; for all the big talk about breeding he'd never even come into contact with any females of his own species from what she could gather.

"I really don't have any right being angry with him anyway," She thought "No matter how uncivilised his conversation might be. After all, if he hadn't caught those plant spines I'd be just as bad as him or worse."

Anyway he'd seemed pretty out of it. In all the time she'd been on board their ship she'd never seen any of the hunters take drugs or get drunk the way humans did. Perhaps they did sometimes, she wasn't sure. He was young; probably he just wasn't used to being intoxicated.

She spent the rest of the night awake, feeding the fire, fiddling with the plasma gun that lay on her lap. No more creatures entered the ring of firelight although she occasionally heard things crashing through the undergrowth a short distance away. She guessed that the gunfire earlier had warned the local wildlife off.

Scar didn't speak again, but he twisted violently as he slept, in the grip of some feverish, toxin-fuelled dream.


	4. Chapter 4

Daylight was finally creeping into the sky, the sunrise bursting into strange, vivid shades of yellow, pink and green. Lex watched it through the chinks in the treetops like a slow, silent, technicolour explosion. She went over and prodded the hunter in the ribs with her boot, none-too gently. _"Have you stopped wanting to kill me yet?"_

Scar raised his head and shook it slowly, clicking his jaws together _"What are you talking about?"_ She stood glaring down at him, as he stretched and looked around dazedly. _"By the soul eater, my head has been full of strange things!"_ He said getting slowly to his feet, testing his limbs to see if they worked. His whole body ached and he still felt tired and slightly sick from the effects of the poison.

When he seemed to have no trouble standing up and after stretching some more, he started tapping the controls of his wrist-com to get their position.

As he did so, he asked her _"How long was I unconscious?"_

" _About half the night"_ She looked at him curiously _"What do you remember?"_

" _Falling down here and then you opening fire."_ He looked round and saw the lizard, lying headless on its side. _"You did kill something! I thought you were exaggerating, I did not even see it."_ He shook his head again in disbelief.

"Yeah, lucky for you I was here." She said irritably, her eyes were gritty and her head pounding from lack of sleep.

It turned out they weren't as far away from the shuttle as she'd expected. They reached the clearing before the sun was even high in the sky. R'zuul and Halkrath were there, she couldn't see any of the others.

" _S'Kia,"_ R'Zuul looked pissed off, _"So you finally decided to haul your pathetic carcass back here. Where have you been? We have been trying to contact you. You said you had a specimen."_

" _We were delayed. We encountered some aggressive life forms unexpectedly."_ Scar shrugged – he clearly didn't want the older male to know about the poisonous flower episode. Now that she could understand their speech better Lex was secretly tickled to see how much Scar kept back from R'Zuul.

In an odd way, their relationship was rather like that of sullen teenager and frustrated parent. She turned away before either could notice her smirk through the mask's transparent visor.

" _See,"_ Scar unhooked the flask and passed it over _"We caught a specimen of the thing as you ordered."_

" _I wanted it alive and in one piece, you idiot!"_ R'Zuul snorted _"A dismembered limb is no good to me."_

" _It is still alive – we think."_ Scar glanced momentarily at her _"Do you have a specimen tank – anything we can put it into?"_

" _Halkrath is the science expert here,"_ R'Zuul motioned to the other hunter with him, who was slightly older than most of the squad with greyish skin. Halkrath took the flask and they followed him onto the shuttle. In the compartment behind the seating area there was indeed a specimen tank and he went to unscrew the flask.

" _Careful"_ Lex warned _"Do not let it touch you."_

Halkrath looked at her as if surprised to hear her speak and then opened the tank and placed the flask inside. He used a robotic arm inside the chamber to open the flask and they watched as immediately the liquid, black globule slithered out and began to send out tiny feelers around the tank. It was obviously more aware of its surroundings than the day before – perhaps because of the insect it had absorbed.

" _It is miniscule!"_ scoffed R'Zuul " _This cannot be the thing that the cameras picked up."_

" _You must put something else in there,"_ Lex said quickly, earning an instant scowl for her presumption in contradicting him. She ignored him and continued doggedly _"Something…alive."_

Scar was ahead of her. He went outside for a moment and came back with a wriggling, luminous-green, cricket-like insect pinched between two talons. Motioning to Halkrath to open the lid on top of the box, he pushed the cricket inside and the science officer quickly resealed it.

The change in the slime was immediately apparent, as the insect entered the tank, the black sludge became still. They watched as it moved stealthily towards the unsuspecting bug and then it shot out a sticky black strand and caught it fast. Then, with a horrible little rush, it closed over the luckless creature until it could no longer be seen. Again it seemed to expand noticeably.

" _This is only a part of the larger creature that attacked us"_ He said _"it ambushed us by lying in wait in a pool of oil. We blew it apart and burned it using a grenade, but these parts of it seem to be living still. We saw it eat an insect and look, already it is bigger since last night."_

" _So it seems that it can survive being partly or mostly destroyed as long as some parts of it remain intact. It must be very durable."_ Mused Halkrath, _"I wonder that this planet is not crawling with these things."_

" _Perhaps there is not enough food for more than a few."_ said Lex, thinking aloud _"Or at least, to grow as big as the one we saw._ "

" _It is….. possible."_ Halkrath nodded, _"If it can reproduce by splitting itself and each piece becomes a separate entity then it would otherwise multiply very quickly. In which case R'Zuul, this one could be fed until it grows to a larger size and then split to produce multiple life forms – as many as required."_

" _Perhaps,"_ said R'Zuul suspiciously, obviously not wishing to let them off the hook so easily, _"But how do we know it will behave as you say_?"

" _I would need to observe it."_ Halkrath said, _"Maybe for a few days. In that time the squad could complete their sweep of the planetoid? That would give me enough time to make a better assessment."_

" _Good idea,"_ R'Zuul lowered his brows threateningly, _"Do not think you can spend the rest of the time lazing around here, S'Kia. Take your pet and get back out there."_

" _And take this"_ Said the science officer handing him a metallic object, shaped like a discus _"It is a plasma trap. It will enclose anything that triggers it in a shrinking net of energy. If you encounter any more large specimens of these shapechangers you can try to catch them with this – it may work."_

Scar was still looking at his squad leader, his expression unreadable under his mask – but Lex could tell by his stance that he was angry.

" _As you command."_ Was all he said out loud.

* * *

They'd half completed a full sweep of their sector by the time the sun was setting again. Lex was almost starting to hallucinate herself through fatigue. She'd stayed at the shuttle long enough to take off her mask and eat some food inside the airlock as she couldn't get the hang of eating with the mask on. It wasn't making up for the lack of sleep. She concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. They saw no other large animals during daylight hours. They were probably asleep, she thought, or at least keeping their distance. Even so she worried about what would happen if they did encounter something. Scar moved silently enough but she was definitely feeling tired and clumsy.

Eventually, in a small clearing, he turned and looked at her speculatively, _"R'Zuul does not expect us back for another day or two."_ he said _"This as good a place as any. You …sleep. I will be awake."_

She didn't argue. Instead she lay down on a dry-looking patch of ground and propped her head up on a piece of wood. It was hideously uncomfortable and she wished she could've taken the mask off. In the fading light she could just see him a few feet away, arms folded, still as a guardian statue in some forgotten temple. She was so exhausted that within seconds of lying down she was asleep.

It was still dark when she was shaken awake. _"What?"_ she choked back a gasp of surprise. Her first thought was that there was some danger but the forest around them was quiet and still. Only starlight made seeing possible.

" _We have to go,"_ He said tersely, _"Contact from Rika and Driss to the south. They are having…trouble. We are nearest to their position."_

She got up and wished she could rub the sleep out of her eyes without the mask getting in the way. He beckoned impatiently. _"They are not far away"_ he said _"Come."_

" _I need water first."_ She pulled out her water container and took a gulp, crinkling up her eyes against the harshness of the atmosphere.

Her night vision was good enough to keep up. It was a clear night, and the light from the planet's tiny, twin moons and the stars was enough. To her it felt like they were running for hours but really it could only have been minutes.

Scar could see the heat from the fire long before they reached it and he could hear the sound of plasma-fire and yelling.

Before they entered the clearing, he stopped and held out a hand so suddenly that she nearly cannoned into him. They crept silently to the edge of the trees. The clearing was at the lip of a large rocky outcrop which ended suddenly as it fell away to the large lake they'd skirted round earlier on the other side. Between them and the other two squad members a huge seething mass writhed. In the firelight she could see that it was similar to the one they'd fought near the tar pits – the only difference was that this one was a different colour. It was brownish in some parts and green in others, a shifting, silty colour, like river water, giving the surreal impression that part of the lake had risen up in protest at the intruders and was attacking them.

On the other side of the clearing, Rika and Driss were at bay, firing and hacking desperately at the thrashing, reaching tendrils that snaked their way towards them. It was immediately clear that they were having the same lack of success that she and Scar had had before.

"This is pointless!" she thought "It doesn't care about the plasma guns, it's just trying to find a way round them." But before she could say anything, Scar obviously decided it was time to draw the things attention. He charged out of the trees and opened fire on the creature. Mentally cursing stupid, macho, adolescent aliens she drew her own plasma cannon and followed him, firing into the middle of the hulking creature. The thing quivered and the nearest side of it reared up like a tidal wave and surged towards them – almost splitting itself in two in its eagerness to reach the new meat. A huge bundle of limbs thrust out of the mass and whipped out to catch them both.

They each darted to opposite sides as the snapping tendrils smacked down onto the floor where they'd been standing a moment ago and immediately started spilling out in other directions.

Scar used his masks' intercom to speak to the other two _"Rika, fall back. Do not let it touch your flesh. "_ He bellowed, still firing on the thing, dancing from side to side to avoid it himself.

Then, without warning, D'Kand and H'Ritz exploded out of the forest behind Rika and Driss and started to attack the creature. The shape-shifter fell back for a moment before the onslaught, seemingly cowed, but as it fell back the lower part of it flattened against the ground. It flowed silently towards the small group of hunters, faster than a rising tide.

They did not seem to notice the pool at their feet, focussed as they were on the main bulk of the thing which was still sending out tendrils towards them.

She nudged him _"They are going to get slaughtered, tell them to retreat."_

" _Get back you idiots,"_ Scar said again, _"Try and draw its attention in different directions."_

" _Fall back you coward?"_ D'Kand said as he continued to advance on the creature, _"We have it on the run! Destroy it while it is weak!"_

Even as he spoke, the muddy pool of the chameleon had reached the feet of the nearest hunter, the one called Driss. He had been concentrating on shooting at the main mass of the thing and hadn't seen the bubbling wave rolling along the ground towards him. With the same horrible speed they'd seen earlier, a sticky string shot out of the liquid and wrapped around his leg. Almost immediately the insidious substance seemed to sense the contact with living flesh and raced up his calf to his thigh. He roared with pain and struggled furiously, firing at the thing that held him. In his desperation he actually managed to shoot himself in the leg. His thigh exploded in a shower of luminous green blood.

Spurred on, perhaps by the scent or the taste of fresh blood, hundreds of glutinous tendrils poured upwards towards the wound. The others watched in horror as it swarmed right over Driss until only his head and one arm were still visible. Sickeningly, the slime that covered the injury had turned a vivid green as it absorbed the flowing blood of its prey. Both halves of the creature converged quickly on him. The rest of the squad stood stunned, watching their comrade being rapidly devoured, his struggles getting weaker by the second.

Then, without a word, Scar fired a single shot at Driss, shattering his team mate's forehead in a cloud of bloody spray. Driss died instantly. His body spasmed for a moment and then was still. For a second there was total silence. Lex looked at him, dumbfounded – he hadn't even hesitated to kill one of his friends…

"Why – _"_

With a speed that shook her out of her stupefied horror, he grabbed her wrist and turned, twisting her towards him painfully _"He was dead anyway!"_ he hissed, jutting his chin towards her _"Stop being so weak and focus on the hunt!"_

She shook her head, struggling for mental balance for a moment and finally managed _"Have you still got the trap? Can we use it?"_

" _Yes, good idea."_ He nodded, un-strapping it from his back _"We must lure the thing to move over it. Otherwise it will not activate."_

She nodded dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

He spoke to the rest of the squad who'd fallen back and were still standing, watching from a safe distance as the living jelly consumed the corpse of their friend. _"Rika, H'Ritz, D'Kand!"_ He spoke to them through their masks. They turned to look at him _"We are going to catch this thing. I have a plasma trap, you fall back. I will be the bait. See if you can drive it onwards – we have the advantage whilst it is… eating.."_

Not one of them argued, they seemed stunned into obedience. He turned to her, speaking quickly as the horrible shape shuddered behind them.

" _You can run,"_ He said _"Set the trap further into the forest and come back. Lead me to the trap. Press this."_ He indicted a panel on the discus _"- to arm it, but do not step on it. I will come and find you – do not worry about how. We need to lead the thing onto the trigger."_

For once she didn't argue, just took the trap and bolted.

Scar turned and saw the amorphous shape sitting in the firelight, swelling with the added body mass it had gained from the dead male. _"Back off,"_ he said quietly to the – other three, _"It must follow me – only me. Once it gives chase, follow. If it looks like it is slowing down, shoot it. Burn it. Anything. Just drive it onwards."_

The glutinous shape-shifter was still shivering in apparent pleasure, tendrils moving lazily as he stepped into the clearing – abnormally aware of the sound of insects and the rippling of the nearby water.

" _You disgusting abomination!"_ Drawing his sword, he hacked randomly at one of the lazily curling tentacles. The moment the blade connected, the chameleon seemed to wake up from its sated slumber. It swiped at him, lazily at first, but more aggressively as he continued to attack it.

When it seemed focussed on him, he backed into the trees – willing himself to stand still long enough for it to get close. _"Come on!"_ he yelled _"Come and get me!"_

The creature seemed to hesitate for a moment, so he took a chance. He pulled out his combi-stick and stuck it into the writhing thing. Immediately sticky strands wrapped around the handle. He held it for a moment and then as the slimey mass swarmed up the handle he had to let go and jumped backwards, firing a volley of plasma into it for good measure.

" _COME AND EAT ME!"_ he roared in frustration.

The thing gave a shudder and then shot several tendrils towards him, he jumped back as far as he could. The shape-shifter reared up again, towering above him like a huge greyish brown wave, streaked with fluorescent green, poised to crash down on him. He stood staring up at it for a moment and then, abruptly, turned and ran.

He could see Lex's heat signature on the floor, her footprints showing up like faint, red beacons in the dark. He heard the bending, groaning noises as the thing rushed along behind him like a flood, breaking smaller trees and flowing round larger ones. He followed the trail of prints until he saw the stronger heat signal. She was there, waiting for him. As soon as she heard the crashing of the shape-shifter she took off – leading them into a small gully, rail-roading the creature into a narrow path. _"Clever!"_ He thought, shadowing her movements. He had to be careful not to go too fast – in case the vile oozing thing behind him should slow down or worse, stop following.

Ahead of him, Lex was running for her life – jumping over low branches and hidden ditches in the dark. Then he saw her tense and spring over an apparently innocent patch of ground, heard her shout something. So that was where the trap was – he stopped holding back and managed a final burst of speed. It was crucial that he should not be trapped along with the shape-shifter or he would be consumed as well. He leapt over the place she had avoided, landed easily and ran on. He overtook her just as they were both thrown forward, flattened to the ground by the trap exploding in a burst of white-hot light behind them. Even before the after-images of the light had died away he was on his feet, dazed, but ready for a renewed attack. None came.

He heard the woman stagger upright behind him. They both stood and stared. Within the plasma field was an almost spherical bubble of pond-water, encased in a shimmering shell of energy. The shape-shifter was struggling to break free of a constricting, shimmering force-field – rippling, moving, but obviously trapped.

Lex was so flooded with adrenalin and relief she felt dizzy and spots were flashing in front of her eyes. Her legs felt like they might collapse but she held them as steady as she could, only force of will keeping her upright.

" _I cannot believe your stupid plan worked!"_ She panted, swaying on the point of exhaustion and leaning her hands on her knees.

Scar saw the rest of the squad come up behind the struggling creature, still looking somewhat aghast to see the huge, shivering mass hanging there inside the energy bubble. He turned to look at her _. "Like I told you last night,"_ He said simply " _I am the best."_

* * *

R'Zuul had been grudgingly pleased that they'd managed to capture the large shape-shifter ( _"A new pet for the terra-formers to play with."_ Scar snorted dismissively). Lex was surprised he thought it so unimportant when one of his friends had died in the process of capturing it. If it was so trivial, his life had been pointlessly wasted. Did they really value their lives so little?

R'Zuul didn't seem to see it that way. Clearly he was less than pleased that one of his team was dead but he didn't seem about to punish Scar for it. Occupational hazard, she guessed – probably a great many of hunters didn't come back from active duty. She wasn't sure how she felt about it. It seemed pretty cold – but then she thought about how she'd shot a fellow human being to save him from having to suffer the agony of being used as a living cocoon for alien larvae. Was it the same? Maybe it was.

She was so tired, she felt like she could've slept for a week. She didn't really have a chance to do much more. Before seven days had passed she found they were to leave again.

" _This time it is a hunt, not surveillance or specimen collecting."_ G'Rithik told them, managing to inject a certain amount of disdain into the words "specimen collecting". They were hunting the awful black, serpent-like creatures she'd encountered before. The very thought made her skin crawl, but from what she could tell, to them that meant play – not work.

At least this time, she would have a mask like they had. _"I will ask the ships armoury to make you one."_ Scar had said to her before the jungle planet expedition. Now it was ready. Back in the jungle, she'd felt handicapped because her night vision, no matter how good, couldn't compare with their thermal imaging and EM scanning capabilities or even their own eyesight. She now realised why the ship was kept in a state of crepuscular semi-dark; with their catlike eyes and superior sense of smell they didn't really need the lights to be up high.

Even with her mask she preferred to keep the handheld plasma cannon rather than use the same targeting system they used – somehow she trusted it more – but it wasn't just the technology that she she had doubts about. She still had problems with the reasoning behind what they were doing. "What's the point in all this hunting and fighting?" She wondered. She wanted to ask him but she wasn't sure how to phrase the question. Probably he would think she was mad even to ask, but she couldn't help thinking about it.

* * *

A few days before they were to leave the ship again, she was lying on the bunk in the sleeping quarters, walking her bare feet idly up the wall when he came in. _"Stand upright and come here human – I have something for you. Give me your arm."_

She rolled over and got up _"What is it?"_

He showed her what looked like a metal gauntlet and snapped it closed around her outstretched wrist _"It is a sat-com. A small… computer. When we are hunting, I can locate you via this signal and you can locate me… or the shuttle."_

She looked at the red LED display. It was made up of characters she couldn't decipher. _"I cannot understand these symbols."_ She frowned

" _You will learn. You are not that stupid – for soft meat."_

She snorted disgustedly at the offensive term " _I am sure it cannot be that complex or you Boneheads would not be able to learn to read it!"_

He spread his mandibles in a wicked grin at her rudeness and leaned over her shoulder, tapping a few buttons with the tip of one talon to show her how it worked. She found herself grinning unwillingly, then turned and flinched backwards when she found her face inches away from his nightmarish jaws. There were times when she forgot he wasn't human and she caught herself almost flirting with him. The thought horrified her. "Put it down to some crazy, extreme version of Stockholm Syndrome." She thought "Maybe the loneliness is getting to me more than I realised. After all, he's the only other living thing I've spoken to for months who's got anything like a sense of humour."

He seemed unconscious of anything odd in her behaviour, or chose to ignore it _"For now it is enough that I can locate you if you are separated from us. Do not interfere with the controls until you can understand them – that is very important. It is also a bomb."_

She looked up _"Like the one from the pyramid?"_

" _Yes – although I have disarmed it for the moment."_ He sat down opposite her and began sharpening his wrist blades _"I do not wish to be blown into the Void in the middle of the hunt because you cannot read. Maybe when you have learned, I will reactivate it."_

She watched him for a moment then said, trying to appear as unconcerned as possible _"Why do you need to hunt? Is it for its own sake? Or is there some other reason?"_

He looked up suspiciously, " _That is a stupid and possibly dishonourable question."_

" _I am human, we are a sub-species - remember? Indulge me."_

He grimaced _"Because the hunt is the highest art-form there is."_ He went back to sharpening.

" _But do all your clan spend all their time hunting?"_

" _No, but warriors and hunters are the highest ranking – the most respected. Also it is best, for … defence."_

"Against what?" she laughed "What do you think is going to happen? I thought you were supposed to be the masters of the galaxy or something!"

" _The Rough Skulls are not without enemies."_ He ignored her mocking tone and glanced involuntarily out of the viewing window _"We have to keep the other clans at bay, or they would take our territory, destroy us. There is always an enemy to fight. There is always a war going on somewhere."_

" _That is a load of shit,"_ She waved a hand dismissively _"It is like that because that is how you want to live. You fight because you enjoy it, it is all you know! Do your leaders not know the art of …_ " she moved her hands around each other as she searched for the word – but had to resort to English" _…_ diplomacy?"

His brows wrinkled in perplexity _"I do not understand your meaning. Speak in proper language."_

" _It is a human word, it means …not fighting. Talking."_

" _Talk? As a distracting tactic?"_ He seemed puzzled.

" _No_ , (How do I explain this?) _to resolve a conflict. You give them something they want – "_

" _What!?"_

" – _and they give you something you want. For humans it is the first resort, before battle."_

" _But if you are stronger, you take what you want and you surrender nothing!"_

" _But what if you are not stronger than they are?"_

" _You die."_

She frowned at his stubbornness _"Is it not better to give up something and live, than give up everything and die?"_

" _It is totally unacceptable to live with defeat!"_ His jaws curled up in disgust at the suggestion.

" _Better to live with defeat than to die, stupidly. Pointlessly! On my planet we resolve conflict through… '_ diplomacy'. _"_ (Now she was really stretching the truth, but he didn't have to know that.)

" _That is not what I know of humans"_ He said (sometimes he could be inconveniently perceptive.") _"From what I hear, you have enough conflict, enough fighting on your planet. Are you not deceiving yourself?"_

" _Are you calling me a liar? Maybe we do fight… when there is no alternative. But at least we know that talking is better that fighting."_

" _I do not believe you. To be alive is to struggle for power, for dominance, for survival – the same for your species as it is for mine. In a struggle for survival there is only one subject worthy of discussion: are you on my side or are you not? Any further talk is …"_

"Cheap?" She finished for him, raising her eyebrows.

" _Futile."_ He said, with finality.

"Well, that explains a lot." She thought gloomily.

* * *

It was only the day before they left that Scar got involved in another brawl. They'd been in the gymnasium with Rika and G'Rithik, when the rest of the squad entered – D'Kand, H'Ritz and Kirin, another male who seemed to be part of their clique. She couldn't be sure but she got the feeling D'Kand had been looking for them.

As usual Scar was ignoring him. Usually he acknowledged everybody but he always ignored his long-standing rival. It was something she'd noticed him do ever since they'd come to blows on her first day after waking up. She could see it made D'Kand extremely angry and also that he wasn't bright enough to hide it.

He walked right up to them and spat _"There you are S'Kia, I thought I might find you hiding here!"_ There was no mistaking his tone, he was looking for a fight. Everyone else in the room had turned to watch as they always did when there looked like some free entertainment was in the offing.

Scar turned with a faintly amused expression " _D'Kand. Have you been missing me?"_

" _Do not give me your usual poisonous mouth; you will not get out of this so easily. R'Zuul might not care to punish you but I do!"_

" _Really. And what am I being punished for?"_

" _You killed Driss."_

" _Yes, I shot him."_ Everything was suddenly very quiet. Scar put his head on one side as if trying to work out what D'Kand was driving at _"I suppose_ _ **you**_ _would have let him die a slow death instead; eaten agonisingly alive, much better – yes?"_

" _He would not have needed to if I had my way!"_

" _But you did have your way. That is why Driss was mortally injured in the first place. If you had withdrawn when I told you to – "_

" _We do not take orders from you, much as you seem to think you are better than everyone else! We should have been attacking like real warriors – not retreating, you_ _ **coward!**_ _"_

The room was now absolutely silent. Lex groaned inwardly, it was the metaphorical slap in the face with a leather gauntlet, the mother insult – it was now going to have to be settled by violence. She'd expected an immediate flare-up, but Scar simply walked forward slowly until he was up close to his antagonist and stood very still.

" _If you think I am a coward,"_ He said quietly, right in D'Kand's face _"Then why do you not prove it?"_ And he pushed him, very deliberately, in the shoulder. She could almost see the others mane of serpentine locks rising off the back of his neck in fury.

Lex had seen fights like this before on expeditions (or in bars afterwards) when there was some tension over who was really in charge. Normally in these situations both men (and they were always men) had friends either cheering them on or holding them back. Here no-one said a word, they just waited. "They're all just watching to see who comes out on top." She thought.

The two hunters stood orange eyeball to yellow for a few seconds, then D'Kand said, almost triumphantly, _"So you are finally challenging me to a fair fight?_

Scar said nothing, but inclined his head to indicate the other could choose his weapon. D'Kand shrugged and unsheathed his wrist-blades. Watching each other all the time, they turned to face one another on opposite sides of a circle of onlookers.

Then almost at the same moment they went for each other. Blades clashing together they struck and parried for a few seconds and sprang apart again – each watching the other, trying to find an opening.

Scar was watching D'Kand's eyes, which were fixed on him, burning with loathing _"He genuinely thinks he is stronger and better than me, thinks I am a coward,"_ he thought _"Maybe I can use that."_

He widened his eyes at D'Kand as if to invite him on and the other roared and charged him. As his opponent reached him, Scar stepped swiftly aside and let D'Kand's momentum carry him past. Then with his hand that did not have blades extended, he punched D'Kand twice in the side of the head – two jabs in quick succession. D'Kand reeled to one side, thrown off balance, but he quickly recovered, turned to face him and charged again. Scar quickly unsheathed both blades and this time their dah'kte clashed and locked. They stood straining their arms against one another for a few seconds. Physically, they were so evenly matched that neither could budge the other an inch _"You always were one to resort to sneaky tricks, S'Kia."_ D'Kand growled angrily _"But you cannot avoid a straight fight forever!"_

Then their blades slid down one another and they each jumped backwards. Scar remained silent, watching him intently. "With any luck the moron will talk himself out of breath." He thought.

He was amazed when he saw D'Kand tense, ready to charge him again _"Surely he is not so stupid as to keep trying something that does not work?!"_ He wondered, and decided it was time to put an end to this. He charged forward himself but at the last moment he ducked and lunged toward D'Kand's midriff causing him to overbalance and pitch headlong over his shoulders. He heard D'Kand's skull hit the floor, turned and punched him in the face, knocking the back of his head hard against the ground again. Whilst the other lay there dazed, he pinned him down with one knee on his chest, one in his throat and the remaining wrist blade pressed to his jugular.

" _Say I am a coward again, D'Kand."_ The other glared up at him. He obviously would've liked to say all sorts of things but didn't because of the weight plus the knife at his windpipe. " _I cannot hear you."_ Scar leaned forward. With the point of his other blade, he drew a thin green line down the side of his opponent's face, just deep enough to leave a mark. _"Just to remind you of what happens when you insult me."_

Then he released him and rose to his feet. He kept his blades extended in case D'Kand decided to attack him again but noticed his adversary seemed to be having trouble getting up.

He strolled over to G'Rithik, Rika and Lex and jerked his head to indicate they should leave. As they left the gym, G'Rithik observed _"If he were not so dense he would actually be quite a challenge."_

Scar snorted _"I considered severing his spine but I was not sure if it would make any difference. I doubt if it is actually connected to his brain."_ He grinned at Lex _"And of course, he does not know the art of '_ diplomacy'."

" _Was that what it was when you hit his head on the floor?"_ G'Rithik frowned.

" _Talking before violence. It seems it is a human thing."_

" _That is not how it works!"_ Lex sighed, but she could tell he was deliberately misusing the word to aggravate her.

" _Luckily it was so effective I hardly had to speak to him at all."_ He said, still grinning.

"Yes, very 'diplomatic'. Maybe you should offer your services to the United Nations!" She said.

" _What are you babbling about soft meat?"_

" _Nothing."_


	5. Chapter 5

They were on the hunt again. This time they didn't take the shuttle, instead they each got put in separate pods and fired through the atmosphere. Lex got through it by listing all the US state capitals in her head, followed by all the countries she'd ever been to, followed by all the albums she'd ever bought, all the countries she'd ever visited and finally (and most unrewardingly) all the men she'd ever dated. It seemed like a long time before the pod finally crunched down.

She was wearing her mask when she stepped out onto the surface. Scar had told her she'd need it to breath in this atmosphere – but nothing had prepared her for the heat. Even at what she guessed to be mid-afternoon or early evening, the sun beat down so strongly it seemed to be almost a weight pressing on her. Its glare was reflected by crystalline sand dunes, stretching away for as far as the eye could see. Luckily her mask protected the top of her head and she'd always coped well with strong sunlight.

This time they were not sent off in pairs but in threes, easily done now the squad had been reduced to nine. She was, as usual, with Scar (she noticed with irritation how R'Zuul seemed to regard this as his pupil's onerous punishment for bringing her on-board in the first place) and Rika.

Rika was the only other hunter who seemed to treat her as something approaching an equal – she supposed because she had kicked his ass in their first encounter.

He always seemed to defer to Scar, even though the two of them were the same age and rank, or so she guessed. She couldn't quite work out if it was a result of the shape-shifter episode in the jungle or maybe things had always been like that between them. Scar was, after all, a pretty dominant personality even for a hunter. Now she had got to know him a little, as much as you could get to know a ferocious alien assassin, she had realised that. There was also, she had to admit, something magnetic about him. Maybe it was the self-confidence. Especially when out on the hunt, he seemed utterly self-assured. It made others feel as if he knew what he was doing (although she suspected he was really making it up as he went along) and want to follow him. As someone who was used to leading herself she recognised the quality in him.

" _The bugs will want somewhere less exposed for their nest, somewhere they can defend."_ Scar was still looking obliviously at his wristcom, scanning in various different directions, _"They must be underground."_

" _There must be rock they can tunnel through – or caves."_ Rika added.

" _Yes, that would mean less work for them."_ Scar conceded _"Perhaps you are not so stupid after all, Rika."_

"Arrogant son-of-a-bitch!" she thought.

" _Come on then, glorious leader – you are so smart? Show us the way."_ She said acerbically.

Difficult to read their expressions behind the masks but she saw the way Rika turned to look at her, clearly surprised to hear a female – an ooman female at that – speak disrespectfully to a male right to his face! He obviously expected some sort of flare-up.

Scar looked at her for a moment, metal faceplate glinting in the glow of the sunset. Then he dipped his head in the strange, almost sarcastic, parody of a bow he had _"As you wish."_

* * *

There were caves dotted around, but no sign of any bugs that they could find. Night was falling, the temperature rocketing down to freezing in a matter of hours. When it was fully dark, she was glad that she agreed to wear some of the body-netting that Scar had given her. It was a sort of fishnet like material that stretched across the exposed parts of her skin. It wasn't especially flattering – in fact she thought it looked pretty kinky. She'd said as much to him and he'd pretended not to understand her, something she suspected he did when he thought she was mocking him. It was heated, she discovered, and kept the warmth next to her flesh in some ingenious way that she couldn't fathom.

They agreed to take turns staying awake. Used now to sleeping whenever and wherever, she nodded off immediately with her head propped up on a rock. She woke up during the night as something brushed her shoulder. It was freezing cold and the outside of her mask was smeary with condensation. She wiped it off irritably and saw Rika crouching beside her on her left side, then froze as a large spidery shape scuttled across her field of vision.

In a heartbeat she was on her feet, drawing the combistick out of the holster on her back.

" _It is not the hard meat."_ Scar said quietly next to her right ear, nearly making her jump out of her skin _"Though your reaction time was… satisfactory."_

"Smartass!" She hissed, as she squinted in the moonlight.

Around them were four or five gleaming, chitinous forms. Now she looked at them closely, she could see they weren't bug larvae but something more familiar. They were spindly arachnids but huge, about the size of an Alsatian. Each one had a curved, scimitar-shaped tail poised above its head. She gave a faint shudder. She'd seen scorpions before but only as something to be shaken out of your boot, not something capable of biting off your foot.

As one came closer, Rika impaled it through the torso with his spear. It wriggled for a few moments before it died, limbs and tail twitching. She extended her combi-stick to its full length, unwilling to go any nearer to the things then necessary.

" _Come on, let us get rid of these stupid creatures so that I can go back to sleep,"_ Scar levelled his plasma cannon at the nearest arachnid, making a clicking noise in the back of his throat in much the same tones as a human would say "Tsk". _"I cannot believe you woke me for this!"_

He blasted the closest two in quick succession. As they somersaulted over onto the sand, he strode forward, and aimed his own spear at the head of a third. It scuttled crabwise and brought its tail down lightening quick onto where his feet would've been if he hadn't skipped sideways. He brought his arm around – wrist blades shooting out – and cut off the stinging tip of its tail. He finished the movement by plunging his arm downwards, skewering the creature's head into the sand and withdrawing quickly.

The final scorpion creature sidled across the sand as if considering its next move. It didn't have to think for long though, as it was impaled on the point of Scar's combi stick. He hoisted it in the air, keeping himself at a safe distance from its stinging tail. He turned to face them – one arm outstretched – with the wriggling thing still impaled on the end.

" _You see?"_ He said _"No challenge at all! Rika you are a total – "_

But they never found out what insult he was preparing to launch because a glistening, predatory shape loomed up suddenly behind him, reaching out towards him. Without a second thought, Lex pulled her plasma cannon.

Scar went rigid as he saw her seemingly draw her gun on him. The thought flashed through his mind that she'd come unhinged, or had been waiting until this moment to pay him back for some unknown slight – but in an instant he'd come up with a better theory. He whipped round in time to see the shiney head of the bug coming over the brow of the hill and the long, pointed tail, silhouetted against the moon.

The hot breeze of a plasma volley whispered past his shoulder and he saw the hard meat take a hit to the shoulder, throwing it backwards. Instinctively he sprang back to avoid the acid blood, his own plasma cannon swivelling to get a bead on the glistening shape. Before he could open fire, she shot it again – this time shattering its ribcage.

Undeterred by the gunfire, another hard meat crept forward across the sand. He noticed these two were different to the bipedal ones he had seen before. They were also arachnid in shape, their bodies held closer to the ground and their arched legs thinner and more spindly. Their tails were longer too – he jerked to one side as a gleaming curve slashed forward. As it did, a thin stream of liquid shot out of the spiked tip and sprayed across the ground, smoking ominously where it landed. It surprised him so much that he leapt even further back. _"They must have been using those stinging creatures as hosts."_ he realised.

He retracted the combi stick, the dead scorpion dropping onto the sand when the blades shot back into the handle. The hard meat circled them, head lowered, mouth open in a snaggle-toothed hiss – but it was the stinging tail that really worried him. It hovered threateningly over the bugs head, following him as he moved from one side to the other. He had to avoid getting sprayed with its acid venom or he would be seriously – perhaps fatally – injured.

He drew his sword and held it in his other hand, waiting for the thing to strike again. As soon as the deadly tail whip-lashed forward, he darted to one side and hacked with all his strength at the stinging tip – just as he'd done with the scorpion. It fell to the floor, dribbling a trail of yellowish bubbling venom but the blade of his sword smoked and began to dissolve.

In a moment he'd raised the spear, unshipped the blades and drove it forward into the head of the thing with a satisfying, gristly crunch. As it entered the bug's cranium, he swivelled the point to try and maximise damage, always aware of the thrashing tail that scattered acid droplets as it swung to and fro. When it stopped he pulled the spear free and looked at his blades. The spear was still usable but the sword was a total loss, the metal had simply been eaten away. Cursing, he threw it down. He had another but the loss of the weapon was an annoyance.

He scanned the dunes around them, but could detect no more bug activity. That didn't make sense – drones didn't roam around for that many miles away from the nest. Two together probably meant they were relatively near an entrance.

" _There must be a hive round here."_ he called over his shoulder, glancing round to see the Lex and Rika coming up the hill. Without waiting for them he advanced cautiously down the other side of the dune. The desert stretched away in front of him like a vast, glistening ocean. Quiet, peaceful and totally empty of any other movement.

As he took another step forward, his foot suddenly started to sink into the sand, it felt like a hole under the surface sand – or possibly even quicksand. He tried to pull it out but, as he exerted pressure on his other leg, that sank down too. In an instant he was waist deep. He tried to spread his arms out and distribute his weight, anything to slow himself down, but it made no difference. In a matter of seconds the silvery sand closed over his head completely and he disappeared beneath the desert – only a faint depression marking the place where he'd been. It had happened so quickly he didn't even have time to make a sound.

* * *

Lex crested the hill and gazed around in mounting perplexity, she'd seen Scar go down this way but now the desert was empty. She put her hand up and hesitantly flipped the controls on her mask to show heat signatures, nothing. In the chill atmosphere, his body heat should have made him as easy to spot as a blazing torch. Unless he'd run or perhaps fallen down the hillside, but then there was nowhere to go. "Think logically." She told herself "If he'd gone in any direction then we could see him. He's not gone up, so that only leaves down."

She scanned the ground thoughtfully with thermal imaging and, sure enough, managed to detect a few fading traces of orange around a small hollow a couple of feet down the slope.

She heard Rika's feet crunch on the sand as he came to stand next to her and looked around in puzzlement as she had done.

She turned to look up at him, _"Bad news Rika"_ she sighed _"I think Scar might have found the hive first."_

" _He said there was one round here,"_ Rika fiddled with the displays on his mask and wrist com _"But I cannot see anything."_

" _Neither could he"_ she looked around _"I think that might be what happened to him."_

" _What?"_ His voice sounded aggressive and slightly panicked through the mask's intercom system and she remembered that he was the nice (insofar as any of them could be described as 'nice') but dim one, not the clever but infuriating one.

" _Look, I will show you - "_

* * *

Scar finally dropped through the suffocating sand onto a stoney floor and managed to roll enough not to totally wind himself doing it. He gasped for breath for a few seconds. The mask was fine as a filter for an alien atmosphere but even that couldn't help you if there was no air at all to work with. He'd been buried alive, lungs burning and about to burst, for what seemed like hours. Fortunately it had likely been just minutes. Now he looked around, trying to get his bearings.

He was in a small cavern, the walls worn smooth by probably many hundreds or even thousands of years of water erosion. Moisture sweated down the sides of the tunnel. It had been cold on the surface but it was hot and humid down here. He had a nasty suspicion he knew why. Somehow he was still holding onto the spear. He checked his shoulder cannon, it seemed undamaged by the sand. So far, so good. He tried his mask's intercom to see if he could raise the other two but as he'd suspected the sand and solid rock blocked any signal. "Well – no sense in waiting for them to come down after me," he thought, "I could be sitting in this stinking hole for years to come." And he wasn't getting out the way he came in, so he'd have to try and find a way through

He looked around again _"Hrrmmmm…"_. In the strange, ghostly world of EM vision, he could see stealthy shapes advancing down the tunnel.

He drew his other sword with a grin. "Ok boys," he said in English, "Altogether or one at a time."

* * *

Rika pulled the blunt end of his combistick out of the quicksand. _"Ok, there's nothing down there so he must have gone straight down. I would make a guess the nest is there."_ He said.

" _But we cannot just jump in there blindly,"_ Lex spread her arms _"It might just be a deep pit._ _What if those two just happened to be wandering around here? He might just be buried at the bottom of the hole."_

" _So we leave him in there?"_

"Might teach him a valuable lesson!" She thought, but in reality she knew she would never just leave him to suffocate to death like that. No matter how ready the hunters might be to sacrifice each other in pursuit of the prey, she couldn't operate that way. Plus he was her best – probably her only – ally here. Certainly she suspected that if he disappeared she wouldn't last long back on board the ship.

" _Do you have a rope?"_ She asked him.

" _I have grappling lines"_ He gave one to her _"What are you planning to do?"_

" _One of us could tie this round their waist and go down, whilst the other stays here to pull them out."_ She realised with horror that it would have to be her that went in. If he went down she would never be able to pull him out again, let alone both him and Scar if the other were unconscious. The very thought of sinking beneath the sand made her feel ill with claustrophobic panic.

They never had to make the choice. At that moment, the sparkling white powder suddenly sprouted a familiar black shape. The xenomorph rose out of the ground like a desert djinn, grains pouring off the smooth sides of its long skull as it hauled itself out of the hole.

Lex levelled her combi-stick and skewered it right through the forehead before the bug could free all its limbs. She withdrew and stabbed it several more times until the front of its head was just a mess of pulped tissue.

" _I think it is dead."_ Rika said behind her, in the careful voice usually reserved for speaking to those not quite firing on all cylinders.

" _Just making sure."_ She suppressed a shudder.

They managed to pull the carcass out of the hole by levering it with a spear. Then it was just a small matter of getting through. In the end, she could just about bring herself to shut her eyes and jump in, hoping there were no more bugs concealed under there. Luckily the mask kept the sand out of her eyes, nose and mouth.

When they finally dropped all the way through she fell a few feet onto a solid stone floor and landed on her feet, jarring her knees painfully, but otherwise intact. Beside her, Rika was already on his feet looking around.

" _I see heat signatures, he was here."_ He looked around _"But no blood. And we have found the nest – that was our objective anyway."_

" _Mm-hmmm."_ She made a non-committal sound, setting foot in an alien nest was certainly not on her list of objectives, _"What is the best setting for those things again?"_ She looked around.

" _EM impulse, it is the third setting. And we can follow S'Kia's heat signal if we want to follow him."_ He tapped his wrist com. " _The scanner does not work through that sand, it must have some kind of reflective quality that upsets it. It is not working too well down here either, or I could try to track him using his sat signal but we may be able to raise him on the mask intercom if he is not too far away. And if he is conscious. "_

Further examination showed acid burns on the floor a little way down the tunnel and several bug corpses, but no live ones. As they made their way along the dripping tunnel, the walls changed, the bare stone covered with a resinous matter that warped into nasty organic shapes.

" _One thing bothers me, Rika."_ She said _"Even if we managed to catch up with Scar, how do we get out again?"_

" _That is easy, this is a hard meat structure, yes? They are all built around the same shape: a spiral. One way will lead us up and out, the other to the centre of the hive."_

" _And what is at the centre?"_ She hated herself for asking but it was like picking a scab.

" _The egg chambers ..and the Queen."_

" _Oh, great. And right now we are heading towards…?"_

" _The centre, of course!"_

"Excuse me for asking!" She said under her breath.

Rika shook his head in disbelief, what did the ooman think they were doing anyway? He chittered to himself in irritation. This was a hunt after all, that was why they were here. Were all females like this or was it all oomans? He wasn't sure, not having had much contact with females or oomans. Perhaps she was a little crazy.

How did S'Kia put up with her constant chatter and questions and arguing? He never failed to rise to the bait if she was trying to provoke him – which she seemed to do for fun. In fact, he almost seemed to enjoy the constant squabbling but they rarely traded blows outside of the gymnasium, even though he was bigger than her. Why didn't he just knock her down and shut her up, dominate her physically as he would do with another male? He knew for a fact S'Kia would not have tolerated it from him – or any other member of the squad – for very long.

Like most hunters Rika wasn't one to back down from a confrontation, but constant verbal dispute? Surely it was better to just settle things once and for all by force and have done with it! Then everyone knew where they stood. The few hours he'd had spent in this desert had made his head hurt. "Maybe they are both crazy," he thought. Ever since he'd had the larvae taken out of him, everyone agreed that S'kia had been acting erratically. Bringing the ooman on board was just the start of his strange behaviour. The way he spoke, even to R'Zuul, was even more reckless and deliberately provoking than usual. It was not that he was trying to assert his dominance over other members of the group – it was more that he did not seem to care what they thought.

The way he fought now as well was different, more intense. He seemed outwardly calm. Whilst other males would roar and bellow to intimidate, he just stayed quiet, focussing on his opponent. It was unnerving. After the fight with D'Kand the other members of the squad were wary of him. There was nothing against the rules of combat in what he did, but all the same…

The rumour on the ship was that either the larvae or the removal process had caused something to go rotten inside his brain. It was mainly D'Kand and H'Ritz who had spread this rumour, but he wondered for a moment if they might be right. "That would not be desirable," He mused gloomily "To be stuck here with two total lunatics."

Speaking of which, he could still see the fading heat imprint of S'Kia's footprints on the stone floor round here. More ominously he could also see spots of glowing green blood.

Lex could see them too. It was cooler down here and unexpectedly, she could hear the noise of rushing water. As she emerged from the tunnel and in front them was a large underground pool, being fed by a waterfall that gushed out of somewhere hidden in the darkness above. It seemed they'd reached a dead end. There were more splashes of phosphorus green by the pools edge, and more burn marks.

She looked down at the dark water that rushed past them – off in the distance she could hear the faint roaring of another fall. Huge stalactites hung from the ceiling. The resinous material was less apparent where the water touched the rock as well, maybe it got worn away. She wondered how long the bugs had been down here.

" _Rika,"_ she said _"Which way is quickest to the – "_ She stopped, cut off abruptly as she noticed movement in the mouth of the tunnel. With the clarity of EM vision she saw four shapes moving towards them, scuttling with frightening ease along the walls and ceiling.

By this time she'd learned not to hesitate, she just pulled the plasma gun, pointed and fired. The things were far enough off not to have to worry too much about acid-blood splash and she wasn't about to let them get any closer. Her aim was improving and one of the bugs was hit, dropped from the ceiling onto the floor. She shot its nearest neighbour before turning her attention back to make sure the first one didn't get up again.

She saw Rika use his throwing disc to slice off the tail of another one as it advanced along the side of the wall. The hindmost leaped over the corpses of its fellow drones and before either of them could attack it flicked its tail forward, spewing acid towards them. She dodged as far to the side as she could in the confined space and tried to shoot off its tail, disable it that way. It swayed easily out of the way and turned its attention to her. This gave Rika the second he needed to draw another long blade and sever the tail tip, before slicing the things head in half.

It was becoming apparent that it would do them no good. They now stood with their backs right up against the edge of the lake and still more drones were emerging from the tunnel. Lex's feet were right on the edge, she had nowhere else to go. She shot as many of them as she could. Then, taking a deep breath turned and dived into the water. She was surprised at the strength of the current. The water had looked still but as she started to swim, she could hardly control the flow of her movement as she was sucked down in the black stream.

Rika groaned inwardly; she was definitely mad, then. Didn't she know that bugs could swim? On the other hand… he quickly assessed his chances if he stayed where he was – not great. What other way out was there? He shot a few more for good measure and jumped.

As he was swept along he listened out for the splashes of bugs jumping into the water after them but he didn't hear any – he felt slightly worried about why they might be unwilling to enter the water but he tried not to think about it. It was impossible to make headway against the current so he swam with it as fast as he could and just tried not smash his head open on a rock.

Lex didn't try to stay on the surface. She wanted to move away from their pursuers as fast as possible and that meant swimming underwater. The mask was some help, at least she could see in what was – doubtless – pitch black to a normal human eye. She felt rather than saw the waterfall coming up. All that showed on the masks visor was a void as the current got faster and stronger. No sense in wasting energy fighting against it so she gave in and let herself be sucked over the edge. Faster and faster until… she was falling through nothingness. She tried to keep her body as straight as she could and just prayed she didn't end up a broken, mangled mess at the bottom.

There was a momentary relief as she plunged into a pool of deep water, the noise of the falls resounding, deafeningly loud in her ears. The current was so strong it tossed her around like a pitbull with a rabbit in its jaws. She let herself go limp, unresisting, giving herself up to it. There was a deafening moment as she was right under the weight of water crashing down and then she surfaced a few feet away gasping for breath and looking round wildly. Her whole body felt as if she'd been battered with a sock full of pool balls. Through the mask's EM vision she saw three greenish shapes swarming down the rocks at the side of the falls and splashing into the water, she realised that this was no time to start feeling sorry for herself. She struck out desperately in the opposite direction. She could only hope that Rika was somewhere nearby and hadn't been knocked out or killed.

Her armour, although lightweight, was beginning to weigh her down in her breathless state. Her boots were also becoming a serious problem. They were waterlogged and heavy as lead, but she didn't have time to stop and unclasp them from her feet. "No sense in looking behind," she told herself, "Just swim as fast as you can."

She was quite near the opposite bank now, she could see it looming up in front of her but the sides were high and quite sheer. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to get out once she reached it but sheer adrenalin drove her onwards. As she touched the stone bank she made the mistake of glancing round quickly to see shapes snaking their way through the water.

Terror gave her added impetus and as she reached the bank she flung her hands up it, desperately scrabbling to get a purchase on the wet rock. Gripping it for dear life, ripping out a fingernail or two in the process, she swung one leg up and hauled herself gasping and shivering onto the ledge.

Almost as soon as she was up a clawed hand appeared over the lip of the bank, snatching at her arm and gouging a long ragged gash in it. She ripped herself free and touched the catch on her palm so her wrist blades shot out. Slashing at the grasping talon, she succeeded in severing a few clawed fingers. Acid blood hissed and spat as it ate through the stone. Then another hand appeared next to the maimed one and between them the grimacing face, teeth bared. She yanked her long sword out of its holster and swung it right into the smooth part of its forehead, slicing right through. It snarled for a moment, terminally puzzled, and fell backwards with a splash.

Further along the bank she saw another sleek shape emerge from the water. She pulled her gun – unsure if it would even work after getting wet – but it fired, splintering the bug's sternum and knocking it into the water. "God bless those macho idiots and their wonderful toys." She thought, swinging round, to stare straight into the chisel toothed face of another bug that was quietly emerging from the depths behind her. Without thinking she brought the muzzle of the gun up and shot it at point blank range, right in the mouth. It was thrown back into the water but some of its blood splashed across her breastplate and began to eat its way through. She tore at the clasps and threw off the smoking armour onto the ground where it continued to dissolve away.

Her eyes darted all around and above her head to see if there was going to be a renewed attack, but she could see no more movement except for the phosphorescent glow of the falls a few meters away. She leaned heavily against the wall, still holding the gun cocked, gasping for breath. A few months ago, she'd have collapsed in a sobbing, shivering heap. She was all alone in the dark of an underground labyrinth, teeming with nightmarish monsters. She'd lost her friends (such as they were) and her armour, she was exhausted and she had no idea of the way out and yet…. she was exhilarated beyond reason. She was bloodied and bruised but she felt more alive than she ever had in her life before. They wanted to kill her, or turn her into a host for their disgusting young, but she'd managed to fight off three on her own. Part of her was terrified, but another, more vital part of her wanted to scream in triumph; wanted to continue to hack and slash and bite and tear until there were no more enemies left to fight or they overcame her.

She wondered what the Lex of six months ago would have thought if she'd seen herself soaking wet; dressed in shreds of torn clothing and covered in her own blood; armed to the teeth and surrounded by the fallen bodies of her prey. She fought down the urge to laugh hysterically. "I've got to get a grip," She told herself "I'm starting to think just like one of them!"

There was a tunnel leading off to her right. When she'd managed to calm down, she turned and – holding the gun ready – followed it into the deeper darkness.

* * *

Scar finally managed to force the metal clasps to close up the deep slash in his leg, clenching his mandibles to keep from making any noise. He didn't want to bring more drones down on him before he was ready. Both the blades on his combi-spear were dissolved by the sheer volume of acid blood he'd spilled in fighting his way through and his sword was likewise useless. His shoulder cannon had been battered off on a rock when he'd swum through an underground river. He'd re-armed himself by tying the ends of a hard meat's razor sharp tail to each end of the ruined spear shaft.

He set off again, knowing he was getting near the centre of the hive. It was getting hotter by the moment. As he was about to round a corner, some sixth sense put him on the alert. He waited for a few moments silently and then, when nothing came, sprang round it – spear ready to stab at head height – and came face to face with Rika.

He let out a hiss of annoyance _"Idiot! Where in the name of the soul eater have you been?!"_

" _Me?! In the desert, you suddenly disappeared!"_

" _I found the hive."_ He didn't wish to discuss having fallen into it by accident, it seemed so stupid. Rika looked intact but his own plasma cannon was also gone and he was bleeding from several cuts – quite minor ones _"You are alone_." Scar observed _"Lex is not with you?"_

" _No. She jumped into the water – we both did – and we went over a waterfall, then she was gone."_

" _Jumped into the water, did she?"_ Scar laughed softly _"Hrrrrmmm, no doubt she is having fun somewhere."_ He tapped his wrist com a few times, still nothing. _"We will almost certainly pick her up when we get to the centre. You know these places tend to lead you there."_

" _S'Kia,"_ Rika didn't want him to be under any illusions about had probably happened to his pet _"I saw the hard meats pursue her. She has probably been cocooned and impregnated by now – or.."_

Scar jutted his head forward with a threatening click " _I think it unlikely. Now stop arguing and let us go and do what we came here for."_

Now they were definitely nearing the centre of the nest. The heat was oppressive. They didn't see any more bugs but felt as if unseen eyes were watching them all the way.

" _We must be near the Queen's chamber."_ Rika said as quietly as he could.

" _Agreed, and I only have my spear and a few grenades. Do you have any explosives left?"_

" _I have a few. And my smart disc."_

" _Good, we may need them."_

They were emerging from the tunnel into a huge cavern – bigger than any room either of them had ever been in – hung with stalactites. They found themselves walking along on a raised spar of rock, like a walkway. A few hundred feet beneath them they could see, covered by the familiar layer of blue mist, hundreds of hard meat-eggs stretching away. They didn't have to worry about those as long as they didn't disturb the mist, otherwise they both knew they'd be hopelessly outnumbered. _Even more_ hopelessly outnumbered.

Despite the size of the cave, the heat was more intense here – to a point where both of them started to feel uncomfortable, despite their species' love of hot climates.

" _What in the hells is causing that infernal heat?"_ Scar thought. He switched for a moment from EM impulse to thermal vision and suddenly the cavern was lit up. Red heat signals emanated from every crack in the stone walls and at the other end of the cavern there was a blaze of incandescent yellow and white.

He switched back to EM and as they advanced down the spar, he could see her; the Queen.

She hung enthroned, suspended like some awful deity at one end of the massive cavern. Her vast, bulbous egg sac hung from bone-like spurs of resin that were attached to the enormous stalactites all around her.

Even though he knew her to be his mortal enemy, he couldn't help feeling admiration for her and the absolute power she wielded. Even from this distance he could feel the weight of her malice beating down on him. She was utterly without scruple, totally without mercy – the living embodiment of the eternal mother of darkness: the soul-eating bitch goddess of the void, bringer of absolute destruction.

As she perceived them advancing down the spar the drones, her worshipping acolytes, began to move sensing her displeasure. As he saw the dark shapes beginning to creep along the walkway he thought "Our one advantage is that they can only come at us in limited numbers. Even the ones that can run along underneath the spar will have to come around the edge before they can attack us. But how many waves can she send against us before we are exhausted?"

But even as he thought this they saw that some of the bugs had crept along the bottom of the bridge and were coming up behind them. He and Rika stood back to back. He watched as the first drone crept forward slowly along the thin strip of rock, jaws drooling spittle, tail upraised to strike…

* * *

Lex was feeling the heat. It was even hotter here than it had been in the daytime of the desert. Her whole body was dripping with sweat and her hair was slick against her head. Strangely she hadn't seen another bug since the river, though she kept her gun ready.

As she neared the mouth of one particular tunnel a rising blast of hot air hit her in the face. She switched the mask's vision to normal setting for a moment. There was a golden glow winking in the blackness.

"Light at the end of the tunnel," She thought "Or should that be an oncoming train?"

As she went further down the heat got stronger. She no longer had to rely on the mask to see.

She came out of the tunnel, right into a cloud of steam. If the mask hadn't protected her face the heat would have singed her eyebrows right off. The cave she'd stepped into was lit up by a vast lake of molten lava. Red embers glowed sulkily in places, whilst in others it shone with a golden light as bubbles of molten rock rose to the surface.

Beyond the magma she could see another tunnel. She looked for a way round and saw there was indeed a thin lip of stone a foot or two wide, which ran around the edge of the shimmering pool. Pressing herself against the rock face as much as she could she began to make her way slowly along it. The metal of the mask was getting slowly hotter – the gun was almost too hot to hold in her bare hand. She stuck it back in the holster. She'd need both hands anyway to keep from falling.

Despite her desire to be away from the uncomfortable heat she moved cautiously, testing each step before she put her weight down. She knew that one slip or crumbly bit of rock and she would be dead, charred to a cinder on the burning lake.

It seemed to take forever. The metal mask was burning her face by the time she reached the other side and she stepped gratefully into the relative shadow of the small tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern. The ground sloped upwards here and she followed it, still undisturbed by any creature.

As she reached higher and higher up the slope a sense of unseen menace made the hair on the back of neck stand on end. She couldn't explain it, but the feeling increased with every step so that she had to force herself to continue. It was almost like a physical presence, a malign will that radiated waves of hatred like a malevolent sun.

She could see the mouth of the tunnel ahead and crept cautiously towards it. Peering round the end of the tunnel her eyes were met with a scene from hell. An enormous cavern, massive, like an underground world. Above her she saw suspended the vast bulk of the Queen, her arms folded as if in a trance, her vile egg-sac quivered and pulsed right above Lex's head. She obviously hadn't yet noticed the intruder, so small and insignificant beneath her enormous frame. Heat and steam billowed out of the fissure behind her – obviously the bugs used the lava to keep their egg chamber nice and toasty.

She managed to tear her horrified eyes away from the nightmare above her and looked at the room beyond for a way out. Maybe she could go back round by the lava lake and then – she paused as her eye was drawn to the bridge of rock jutting over a vast chasm.

Bugs were pouring along the spur and in the centre of a mass of bodies two figures back to back, fighting desperately to hold back the tide - it had to be Scar and Rika. She watched for a moment as the glistening hoards poured across the narrow causeway towards them, the two hunters either hacking them to pieces or knocking them bodily into the gorge beneath. She could see that the sheer weight of numbers would mean they couldn't keep this up for long. Soon they would simply be overwhelmed.

She took a moment to consider her next move. There were eggs up here on this ledge, but not that many – she watched as another slid from the end of the sac – she could deal with them. All the drones were occupied fighting the intruders and the Queen was high above her. She could probably not reach Lex whilst she was still attached to the rocks. The whole weight of her implacable will seemed to be focussed on the two hunters. And the drones would protect the Queen….

Before she could think better of it or have time to give in to the rising dread, she drew her plasma cannon and fired a shot at the Queen. It bounced harmlessly off her armoured body, but it had the desired effect. There was a moment of silence whilst everyone in the cavern reassessed the situation. Then the Queen gave a scream of rage, like iron nails down a chalkboard.

* * *

Scar looked round when he heard the shot. When he saw the slim shape standing under the hideous mass of the Queen, plasma gun in hand, he laughed out loud. As the bug nearest him turned at the noise he backhanded it off the walkway and it fell twisting into the gap. The fall probably would not kill it but it was no longer his immediate problem.

As the drones turned and started to swarm back towards the Queen, Lex glanced sideways and saw an egg opening a few feet away and shot a burst that caused it to explode in a shower of sticky fragments. She shot another and another, as the Queen shrieked and writhed above her. Then she fired directly upwards, rupturing the sac and was forced to leap sideways as a torrent of translucent jelly poured down, spattering the rocks.

Scar pushed forward along the spur hacking and slashing, knocking as many of the panicked drones off into the pit beneath as he could. In their hurry to rush towards the new threat and protect the Queen, they seemed to no longer even paying attention to him and Rika. They were quite near the end of the spur now and he decided it was time to take a chance and leapt as high as he could, over the heads of the drones who were all turned towards their mistress. As he landed he started to run – ducking as he passed under the Queen, out of the way of her snatching claws. He heard Rika hit the floor behind him and turned back to the bridge which was still covered with shining bodies.

Grabbing one of his two remaining grenades he threw it right onto the nearest part of the causeway. It exploded and the rock splintered and fell into the chasm, taking a few dozen drones with it – falling backwards in a shining, struggling mass of teeth and claws. He heard Lex fire again and heard the Queen scream as the shot took out another section of her precious egg sac.

He and Rika slashed and swiped at the few drones that had made it onto the stone platform, but they could see more coming up over the lip of the chasm. Above them the Queen shrieked and struggled to free herself, dust and shards of rock falling from the roof of the cavern where she was tearing herself away from it. It was time to go.

By unspoken agreement, the three of them turned and fled back into the tunnel, Scar snatching up his last grenade. As they ran down the slope he pulled the catch. He held it for a few seconds, counting under his breath, then turned and threw it back towards the entrance. The grenade went off as it hit the floor of the tunnel, splintering the rock round the mouth of the hole. The ceiling at the top of the tunnel collapsed and the impact caused the rest of the structure to start to crumble – they ran away from the crashing rock, until the wall of heat rose up to meet them. Lex gave a yell and skidded to an abrupt halt, holding out an arm to bar their way – and the other two were only just able to stop themselves colliding with her and knocking her into the pit. For a few seconds they teetered just on the brink of the molten lake, before regaining their balance.

As fast as she dared, Lex darted to one side onto the stone lip above the lava and began to hurry along it – willing herself not to look down into fiery oblivion. The other two followed her, clawed hands splayed against the rock. They were about ten feet from the tunnel's mouth on the far side when there was an ominous rumble from the direction of the big cavern. They began to move faster and just as they reached the other side, the tunnel from the egg chamber exploded outwards in a shower of dust and rubble that caused the lava to flare up spectacularly as the debris tumbled into the chasm and ignited in the superheat.

An ear-splitting cry echoed around the huge cavern as the Queen's snarling mouth and huge crested head emerged from the fissure in the rock. Enormous, steel-taloned hands gripped either side of the gap as the Queen heaved her huge body out of the narrow tunnel. She turned and saw them flattened against the cliff face across the other side of the cave and began to make her way towards them across the horizontal surface with the ease of lizard scuttling along a wall, her claws sinking into the stone.

Lex fired a few plasma shots but they had no effect. _"Rika, your explosives"_ Scar turned to his friend _"I have used all mine."_

Rika didn't need telling, he'd already pulled out his smart disc and threw it so that it stuck in the wall right in the Queen's path. As she passed near it he tapped the control on his wrist-com and the blinking discus exploded – shattered the rock and sending it sliding into the lava. The blast sent shockwaves through the stone, almost knocking all three of them off their feet.

The Queen gave a shriek of fury as the wall she was gripping crumbled and she began to fall towards the bubbling magma but she wasn't beaten. She lashed her long limbs frantically to stop her fall and managed to sink her talons into the rocky ledge right at their feet. Rika threw his last grenade right at the space where her monstrous hands gripped. They all scrambled into the tunnel that led up to the underground river as another deafening blast shook the cavern. The Queen was blown backwards and fell squealing into the pool of glowing molten rock. She thrashed for a moment, sending up gouts of flame and steam, before sinking beneath the surface, the golden red liquid closing over her head with a sullen hiss.

The three of them lay on the floor of the tunnel panting until Scar hauled himself upright and staggered to the edge, staring down into the pit.

For a moment he was unable to make sense of what he was seeing. The surface nearest to them rippled for a moment and then erupted as a vast burning claw rose out of the depths. The hand groped for the wall, trying to find purchase on the sheer surface. Then the huge claws sank into the side of the pool, the rock sizzling and melting where they connected, as the Queen began to pull herself slowly out of the lake of fire. Her joints hissed with steam and her skin burned with a white hot light. She looked like a flaming spirit, come to drag them all down to the next world.

" _She is climbing out!"_ He hissed as the other two scrambled to their feet " _By the soul eater, she is unstoppable!"_ Neither species waited to hear any more. They ran headlong up the slope, hearing the squealing of vapour jets where the Queen's hot flesh touched the cool stones as she dragged her burning body slowly towards the top of the stone wall. She began to squeeze into the narrow tunnel behind them. The stone crunched and splintered as she shouldered it out of her way – ceiling and walls collapsing behind her as she passed.

The tunnel twisted and turned seemingly forever, until it gave out onto a narrow ledge, looking down onto the wide water-filled cave. Lex realised they were back where she had fought off the bugs earlier. They all looked round frantically for an escape but the only way out was through the lake.

" _We cannot go in there,"_ Rika shook his head, _"As soon as that burning demon touches the water, we will be boiled alive."_

" _I think we can make it, but she could still get to us,"_ Lex looked at him _"Although… if she did go into the water, the sudden drop in temperature might cause her some problems. If we can hit her hard enough we might be able to shatter her. Hopefully, she would die."_

" _And so would we!"_ Rika shook his head _"Besides if we went round the other side she would not need to touch the water, she can just climb along the wall."_

Lex looked up speculatively at the huge stalactites hanging from the ceiling, directly above the tunnel mouth and gave Scar a dig in the ribs – jerking her head upright and pulled out her plasma gun. He followed her gaze.

" _The plasma gun would not bring it down from the other side of the lake –"_

She shook her head in frustration " _Then_ _I need to climb up there, get closer!"_

Scar turned to Rika _"Give me your wristblades."_ His tone left no room for disobedience.

Rika handed them over _"You cannot climb it – you will never get the blades into the rock_ – "

" _Watch me"_ He strapped the blades into place on his wrists and tightened them, as the shrieks of the Queen echoing up the slope got slowly nearer _._

" _We still need a decoy."_ He nodded at Rika _"That is you. Get swimming, get to the other side. Try and keep her attention. We will take care of the rest."_

Rika didn't need telling twice, he dived into the water and started swam for his life. _"Lex,"_ he beckoned her over _"I cannot climb and shoot without my cannons shoulder mounting. Hold onto me."_

" _What about the extra weight?"_

" _You are too scrawny and undernourished to make any difference to me!"_

He bent down low enough for her to put her arms round his neck and lock her legs round his waist. She clung to his back as tightly as she could but kept the gun clutched in one hand. He straightened up and then turned and jumped up at the sheer cliff-face at the side of the tunnel. Driving the wrist blades into the rock he began to climb arm over arm, breathing hard with the effort. She kept her head turned, her eyes fixed on the tunnel, waiting for the Queen.

When they were level with the largest stalactites, he stopped climbing – bracing his legs against the wall. _"Are you watching the tunnel?"_ he said quietly.

" _Yes, I cannot see her yet. Rika is already on the other side."_

She looked at the thick spike of rock, one shot might not be enough to bring it down _"Hold on, just let me loosen them a little – "_ holding on with her legs and one hand she managed to draw her sword and swung it at the base. Sparks and a few little chips of stone flew out the blade struck and a thin, hairline crack began to spread across its surface. She leaned out as far as she dared and struck the next one. She stuck the sword into the holster on his back – as it was easier to reach – and froze as she saw the vast eyeless muzzle emerge from the darkness.

The Queen had been white hot before, now she glowed a blazing orange. Even from fifty feet up, they could feel the heat radiating off her as she dragged herself out of the opening. Her serpentine head snaked from side to side, seeking the puny trespassers that had destroyed her unborn children.

Rika, on the other side of the lake, froze for a moment – and then they heard him roar a challenge to her. Her head stopped moving as her murderous intent focussed on him and she shrieked, deafeningly loud, searching for a way to get to him.

Lex didn't wait any longer, she fired several rounds of plasma at the base of the nearest stalactite. It groaned for a moment and broke off, plunging towards the spot where the Queen stood.

As she heard the gunfire, the Queen turned mid-scream – realising she'd been tricked – but the burning lava had made her stiff and slowed her reactions. She spotted the real threat was above her far too late and was hit full in the face by a spike of rock weighing several tonnes. The impact of the falling rock caused the whole cave to shake alarmingly and the narrow ledge on which she stood, already groaning under her weight, collapsed. The Queen was pitched headlong into the dark water, pinned under the weight of the stone.

Immediately there was a high-pitched screaming, not from the Queen's throat, but from the jets of scalding steam shooting from her every joint as she began to cool. The water around her started to boil violently and the whole cavern was filled with billowing clouds of thick white vapour. The Queen herself shuddered as the cooling process caused her chitinous body to contract rapidly. As she writhed and fought to free herself, hairline fractures started to creep across the surface of her skin.

Lex fired at the base of the second stalactite but it was bigger and thicker than the first one and so securely rooted to the ceiling of the cave that it didn't break. She blasted it repeatedly but though it creaked it still didn't fall. She watched as, directly beneath them, the huge sprawled body of the Queen thrashed and struggled under the pile of rubble. In a moment or two she would free herself.

Scar was watching her too and had come to same conclusion. He pulled out one of his blades and drove it as deep as he could into the stone ceiling above them, trying to bring them closer to the stalactite. The movement caused his body to swing alarmingly and Lex nearly lost her grip on his neck, her sweat-slicked fingers having difficulty getting any purchase. Her eyes widened as she realised what would happen if she fell and she dug her fingernails into his skin, leaving bloody track marks. He was so marinated in adrenalin he didn't even notice.

Holding on as tightly as possible without throttling him she lashed out with one booted foot – kicking the rock spike as hard as she could. It creaked again but still didn't fall. Below them the Queen finally managed to break free of the rubble. In desperation she shot the base of the stalactite again. This time it snapped off, showering them with dust and skin-piercing shards of stone.

Through the clouds of steam and dust they could see the Queen's jagged toothed mouth gaping as she raised her head to look at them, the surface of her skin crazed with deepening fissures. She just had time to scream in fury before the spear of stone impaled her, crashing down on her back and smashing through her spine. With the force of the blow her newly brittle body shattered, exploding outwards, raining down burning hot fragments of her splintered carcass all around the cavern.

A cloud of her acid blood spread into the water making it hiss and bubble once more, but straight away the yellow liquid was starting to be carried away by the strong current. There was an expanding cloud of rising dust and vapour and then just the plink, plink, plink of cooling bone and matter.

Scar hung there, feet dangling over the drop. He heard the human's voice right by his ear _"So… how were you planning for us to get down?"_

" _I do not think that will be a problem."_ he croaked.

" _Oh.…"_

After a few more minutes passed he asked, as casually as possible _"How hot do you think that water is now?"_

She looked down at the lake, directly underneath them the water was no longer boiling, but thin ribbons of steam still curled from the surface and the yellowy acid had not entirely dissipated. She could still see traces of it around the Queen's corpse. _"Pretty hot and very corrosive."_

" _Because I can feel one of the blades starting to slip, and I may not have the strength to drive it in again."_

" _I see."_ She tried to swallow but her mouth was suddenly dry. It was a long drop. Hopefully the river was deep enough to break their fall but it looked hot and there was also now the Queen's blood in the water. Streams of bubbles still rose from her scattered current would carry some of the hotter water and the acid away but it would almost certainly not be soon enough.

One of the blades slipped from the rock and Scar had to drive it back in again, but he couldn't quite drive it in far enough – the effort was exhausting and his shoulders had gone through being excruciating and were now merely numb. There was no way he'd be able to climb down as he'd climbed up.

They heard Rika beneath them, calling from the far bank. _"Come on S'Kia,"_ he shouted _"Why are you still hanging there? Let us get this bug's head off and get out of here!"_

" _Moron!"_ He muttered under his breath, before calling down to him. _"Do not touch the water! It is full of her blood!"_ He could feel the blades grip on the rock getting looser by the instant. It would only be a matter of time before they dropped like a stone. He wondered if he could maybe try to swing his body weight so that they wouldn't land directly on top of the Queen – but he didn't want to do anything to dislodge their hold on the ceiling.

Suddenly Lex gasped _"I still have Rika's grappling line!"_ She said, her hand going to where she'd stuck it in her belt. It was still there, amazingly, having survived her passage through the water and everything else. It consisted of a coil of rope and a small projectile grapnel that could be used for scaling high structures or as a weapon. She aimed it at the roof of the cavern midway between them and the shore and fired. The grapnel shot out of its tube and buried its barbed point in a small rocky outcrop there.

If they could just get to the other bank or even far enough upstream of the Queen's body maybe they'd be ok….

Quickly she looped the rope around his waist and tied a slipknot, holding the other end looped round her arm. This was going to hurt – but hopefully not for very long. He looked round. _"What in the profane, festering name of the bitch goddess are you doing?"_

"Mountaineering." She said through gritted teeth.

" _What?!"_

" _Just shut up and let me get on with it!"_

At that moment the last blade finally gave up its grip on the rock and they fell, straight down towards the hissing, steaming surface of the water. About ten feet away from the surface the rope suddenly snapped taught and arrested their fall, the jerk driving most of the breath out of his lungs and almost pulling her arm out of its socket. Their weight caused them to swing in a wide arc towards the bank. As they reached what she judged to be the high point of the arc she was about to pull on the knot to unravel it when the grapnel came free of the ceiling, saving her the trouble. They were thrown onto the narrow lip of stone, barely missing Rika, hitting the ground heavily and rolling over a few times.

They finally fetched up against the vertical cliff face with him lying on his front and her against the wall. She had luckily not hit her head, but was still feeling pretty battered where he'd rolled over her.

After a moment, she untangled herself painfully. Rolling over onto her back she lay there, looking up at the ceiling.

"You …are one ...heavy son of a bitch." She groaned, "My arm feels like a tank ran over it."

He looked up blearily, obviously rather punch drunk where his skull had struck the wall _"At least you are alive to appreciate it."_

" _That is your idea of gratitude?"_

" _I will be grateful… when you explain to me what you just did."_

* * *

When the river had washed away the last traces of the acid, the two hunters insisted on swimming out to the body of the Queen and collecting her skull. As part of it had shattered, they only managed to salvage the front half of it. It was cracked and blackened – as if fossilised.

They began the climb back to the surface. She thought that they were probably safe enough for now, the Queen having caused the egg chamber tunnel to collapse. Even if she had not, the hunters seemed to think the nest would be in total upheaval. The drones were totally in thrall to the Queen's will. With her death they would be thrown into chaos. Until a new Queen emerged they would probably be too disorganised to mount a sustained hunt for the intruders – especially if it meant tunnelling through the blocked passage. When they finally managed to locate a way out, the desert was a blur of blinding sunlight.


	6. Chapter 6

They'd been back on the ship two months and Lex hated it. The whole place was, she'd realised, one big emotional pressure cooker. All these males cooped up together, many either in the throes of – or reaching the end of – adolescence. It was a constant clashing of egos, a never-ending struggle for dominance and there were times when it made her depressed and exhausted.

To make matters worse, Scar had changed during the time they'd been back. He'd grown bigger, put on more muscle. He'd been big before but now he was frankly huge. His face was also changing; his brows were more ridged and spiky, more like the adult hunters she'd seen.

It wasn't these physical alterations that bothered her. With the changes, he'd definitely become more moody and unpredictable.

She'd always thought he was nearer the rational end of the spectrum of barely restrained violence that all of his species seemed to inhabit. Now he was becoming prone to sudden explosions of temper – something she hadn't seen before, apart from his clash with D'Kand the day after she'd woken up.

He never attacked her except in the gym, as an exercise, but that was occasionally an intense experience depending on his mood. They still clashed verbally, but he often seemed to be deep in thought and quiet. With the rest of the squad and other males, however, he had become hyper-touchy, lashing out furiously for seemingly minor offences.

She considered requesting her own quarters to get out of his way, but hesitated – fearful of alienating her one real ally. He was the only one here who always treated her like a person and not a piece of furniture or an animal.

In those few weeks, the rivalry between Scar and D'Kand had intensified. What had started as a childish squabble now it seemed to have deepened into a real blood feud which was always ready to flare up into open conflict. Previously, Scar had always made a point of ignoring D'Kand and replying to his insults in an offhand way that made the other speechless with indignation. Now, more often than not, he would simply attack him.

The root of the problem was obvious: they were the two dominant personalities on the squad and were evenly matched physically, being about the same age, size and build. D'Kand just wasn't very bright and this had always put him at a disadvantage.

He also felt slighted because Scar was emerging with a greater share of credit than himself. R'Zuul had not been able to hide his pleasure that his favourite pupil's contingent had managed to slay a second Queen and had made it obvious that he considered him the best candidate as his lieutenant. D'Kand was hugely jealous and his boiling envy drove him to try and reassert himself. He baited Scar constantly and for some reason Scar had started rising to the bait.

They were sitting in one of the dining halls with G'rithik and Rika, eating. Lex, as usual, was practising her zen-master routine by shutting out what was going on around her so that she wouldn't be put off her food by the crunching and slurping.

D'Kand, H'Ritz and Kirin entered the room. She could see the malice in his face as soon as he looked in their direction.

" _I have a problem for you S'Kia,"_ He said, loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear, _"I am curious to know how long your pet will last if we put her in the airlock and open the hatch."_

Scar didn't even look round _"D'Kand, I am almost as curious to know how long you would keep struggling if I were to remove your head entirely."_

" _He would not miss it,"_ Rika grinned _"He does not keep anything important in there."_ He and G'Rithik laughed, Scar remained ominously quiet.

" _Come on S'Kia, do not be upset,"_ D'Kand continued, walking up behind him _"I just want to see how long it would take for her to explode."_

Lex glared up at him, sick of being discussed as if she wasn't there _"If you are curious why do you not go and try it?"_ She said acidly _"Go and sit in the airlock, get one of your friends to press the release and then you can come and tell me how it works out."_

" _Do not speak to me, unnatural female!"_ He snarled.

" _What is wrong?_ " She raised an eyebrow _"Can you not handle females who talk back to you?"_

" _Handle you?"_ D'Kand's mandibles contracted in disgust, _"I would not dirty my hands to touch you, ooman vermin… although I know S'Kia gets a thrill out of it!"_

S'Kia did turn at this, shooting to his feet and swivelling round to face his antagonist.

Suddenly all attention in the room was totally focussed on the argument. Everyone turned to watch as things started getting interesting.

" _That is why you are so protective, is it not S'Kia?"_ D'Kand continued slowly _"You do not want me to damage your little plaything, the ooman s'valit'ka –"_

 _{translation: slut, ie. female who is promiscuous or has had unsanctioned sexual intercourse}_

Lex didn't know that particular word but she could guess from the context what it meant. She was watching Scar's face and saw his expression change in an instant to one of murderous anger. Even before the other finished his sentence, he was across the room swinging a fist at D'Kand's face. His opponent was expecting it and moved his head quickly, but he didn't dodge the other fist in the gut. He responded by belting Scar across the chin. Scar's head jerked backwards but he was so enraged he barely noticed.

There was a general commotion as the room's inhabitants moved back to get out of their way. Officially fighting on the ship outside the gym was frowned upon but in reality brawls tended to break out everywhere. Ordinarily these were only minor altercations, usually settled by one or two blows – this looked like it was going to go all the way. Everyone knew how much the two largest males on R'Zuul's squad detested each other and they were eager to see if their rivalry was going to finish with one of them dead.

D'Kand dodged round the other side of one of the metal benches to get some breathing space but he was beginning to realise he'd miscalculated quite how angry he'd made his adversary. Scar tossed the heavy metal frame out of the way as if it weighed nothing, sending it crashing into the wall, and lunged at his throat. The growth spurt he'd experienced in the last few weeks had finally given him the physical edge. He managed to get both hands around his childhood rival's neck and bent him backwards over the fallen bench, choking him.

D'Kand, desperate to free himself, escalated the conflict to a different level. An unmistakable noise cut through the shouting, baying and general chaos of the crowd: the sound of a wrist-blade being unsheathed. D'Kand lashed wildly at Scar, trying to hit him in the gut or torso – anything to get him off and decisively beat him – but Scar had heard the noise and caught his hand by the wrist. Immediately D'Kand unsheathed his other blade and Scar grabbed his remaining free arm to keep the flashing metal away from his body.

The whole room fell silent. Fighting with edged weapons was definitely not permitted outside the gym. Of course it did happen, but rarely, and infringers often paid a high price. The alternative would have been total carnage everywhere onboard a ship where arguments so frequently turned violent. Even after a severe beating the loser could usually slink off to fight another day, something he couldn't do if his intestines were spread across the deck.

Scar held his opponents arms back easily, rage and extra muscle mass giving him the advantage in a hand-to-hand fight.

" _The dishonourable bug-fucker meant to stick me!"_ He thought furiously, bending D'Kand's right wrist backwards until he heard a crack. Then he head-butted him once, twice, three times. As he felt D'Kand's arms go limp, he seized him by the throat again. He was totally focussed on his opponent. In his mind the rest of the room had faded away and it was just him and D'Kand, fighting to the death. A strange calm descended on him as he tightened his grip, squeezing D'Kand's airways shut. _"I do not need weapons!"_ he thought _"I am just going to kill him with my bare hands!"_

He felt hands gripping his arms and trying to pull him backwards, but he ignored them – they were just a minor annoyance – he just concentrated on squeezing. More and more hands had got hold of his arms and shoulders now and he was being pulled backwards, losing his grip on D'Kand's neck. He fought grimly against them. _**"Get off me!"**_ He snarled, still struggling to break free for a moment, before finally going down as more bodies piled on top of him.

* * *

They gave him a few hours in the brig to cool off. Scar was still angry when R'Zuul entered the holding cell, but he'd had enough time to regain some control. He didn't move as his mentor closed and locked the door, just stared at him from under his brows with blazing, yellow eyes.

" _You know the penalty for fighting with weapons outside the gymnasium on this ship is a long period of incarceration – much longer than you have been in here."_ R'Zuul said exasperatedly.

Silence.

" _D'Kand is a loud-mouthed fool,"_ he said _"But if you wanted to fight him you know the proper place to do it. Have you really gone insane?"_

Still no response. R'Zuul could see the younger male was boiling with rage but was managing to rein it in, just. _"What has happened to him?"_ He thought.

It was the first time he'd been in a room with his pupil for a month as other business had been keeping him busy. Now he had noticed the change in his physiognomy _"When I saw him last he was just out of adolescence and he looked it. Now suddenly, he is an adult. I do not think even I would care to fight him now."_

As he looked at Scar his brow knotted up as another, more worrying realisation dawned on him _"And he stinks of breeding musk!"_ He thought in disgust. _"No wonder it took seven other males to get him off D'Kand and drag him down here! He is so flooded with hormones I imagine he hardly knows what day it is."_

This last realisation disturbed him deeply. Males in an all-male atmosphere did not generally have any immediate interest in sex, which in turn meant they didn't tend to produce pheromones. That only happened when they were in the company of females. The reasons for this were very simple – firstly, there was no need for them to do it and, secondly, a vessel full of sexually frustrated males with no females on board was a recipe for a blood bath.

" _But he has been in contact with no females,"_ The thought dawned on R'Zuul slowly, though he could hardly believe it _"Or maybe… just one female, that scrawny little, alien bitch!"_ His mind recoiled in horror at the idea but the more he thought about it; the way the two of them were always together, ate together, shared sleeping quarters... the way he'd even put them together on every possible occasion to teach S'Kia a lesson for bringing her aboard… was it possible his strategy had backfired spectacularly? Now he considered it he remembered being told that the fight in the dining hall had been about her too...

" _I hear that you were fighting about something D'Kand said about your pet,"_ He tried to sound as disinterested he could _"S'Kia is it really worth getting locked up for?"_

Scar looked up viciously and for an instant R'Zuul thought he was going to attack _him_ – but then he turned his head away and said _"D'Kand pushes me too far. He disrespects me constantly. If he wants to live he needs to learn to keep his ugly mouth shut."_

R'Zuul tried again _"S'Kia it is not a killing matter. She is a sub-creature – you should not – "_

" _That is what D'Kand says!"_ The younger male snarled at him _"I have told you before! She has saved my life more than once. I owe her."_

 _"As if it matters whether she lives or dies!"_ R'Zuul thought. Out loud he said _"S'Kia I agree with D'Kand. Since you have associated with her you are picking up dishonourable habits, ways of thinking that are not fitting. You are acting erratically."_

" _D'Kand was a poisonous imbecile before I brought her back,"_ Scar shrugged _"And even if she is ooman, what of it? She is brave, and she may not be physically as strong as we are but she says – "_

R'Zuul shook his head _"This is what I mean – this is the extent of how much you have been corrupted. Who cares what an ooman female thinks or says about anything?! She clouds your judgement. That she is female is bad enough, but that she is not even of our species? She should not be here! Just look at how you are acting – you cannot be at war with everyone."_

" _I am not at war with everyone – only D'Kand. Go and give your lecture to him!"_ Scar snarled at him _._

" _S'Kia – she is twisting you, making you unbalanced. I have always thought that you have great potential, but not unless you abandon this... this deviant behaviour!"_ R'Zuul sounded so genuine and reasonable, that Scar felt a sliver of doubt. Did the squad leader have a point?

His mentor continued _"I need you to undertake some scouting duties off-ship. Go and regain mastery of yourself, forget this stupid feud. In fourteen days time we will pass within landing range of her planet. You need not destroy her. Just let her go – let her take a landing pod and go to whatever part of that world she wishes. By the time you return, she will be gone."_

" _Back to where she came from?"_ For the first time in the conversation, Scar sounded uncertain.

" _Yes. "_ R'Zuul said firmly _"S'Kia I have known you since your infancy and I am your commander. I am giving you an order. Send her back where she belongs."_

* * *

When they eventually turned him loose from the brig, Scar was still feeling angry and unsettled. He had got the sense during his talk with R'Zuul that his captain was not quite being straight with him, but he had to admit privately that there was some truth in what he'd said. Over the last month or so Lex's presence had suddenly become very distracting for him, disturbing even.

When he'd first brought her on board, without even realising it, he'd let her drift into the empty space left by the deaths of his brothers. He'd spent all his time with her just as he had with them. He'd still been an adolescent then and had treated her very much as another male his own age, but now everything had changed. Everything she did troubled him. The sound of her voice, the way she moved, the pulse in her throat: everything was suddenly fascinating. On top of that - if any other male threatened her he found himself wanting to beat them until they were just a bloody, green smear on the floor. He kept getting into stupid fights he would've shrugged off before.

He just could not understand why her existence was now so troubling. He sometimes found he couldn't concentrate on what she was saying to him because he was distracted by her strange, black eyes. Whenever he found himself in close physical proximity to her his senses suddenly went onto high alert. Sometimes she seemed to be doing it deliberately; standing a little too close; touching him unnecessarily. Worse than that was the way she smelt. Being human, Lex didn't produce musk like a female of his own race would have done but since reaching puberty Scar had not been around any females of his own species – or any females at all – except for her. Human or not, he could smell her femaleness all around him and it was driving him slowly insane.

All this he was turning over and over in his head as he stalked back towards his sleeping quarters. He knew that the older male was dismissive of females in general and of Lex in particular because she was human – but did R'Zuul have a point?

As he entered the room he could tell she was there, he could smell her as soon as he opened the door and it unsettled him, made him feel tense and uncomfortable. She was standing by the glass view port with her back to him. He could tell by her body language that she was angry and she immediately started to talk when he didn't want to speak to anyone.

" _Scar! What was all that in the hall today? G'Rithik said you had been locked up."_

He turned on her, hackles rising in irritation _"Yes I was locked up for fighting with D'Kand. My only regret is that I did not get a chance to finish him off."_

" _I do not understand what has changed,"_ She narrowed her eyes at him _"You did not let him provoke you before. You told me he was not worth bothering with! Now you go crazy over some stupid remark when you know that is exactly what he wants. You should not let him make you angry."_

" _You are right,"_ He said, _"I should just kill him."_

" _That is not what I mean!"_ She sighed in exasperation _"He wants to provoke you – to make trouble for you. I think he fears you."_

" _He should fear me, because one day I will kill him."_ He was obviously still furious and having trouble controlling it – she could see his hands and jaws twitching.

" _I thought you were more intelligent than this,"_ She said, getting angry herself but trying to keep a grip on her temper _"I did not think you were such a moron to do as he does. There are other ways to settle this. Can you not see that?"_

" _Stop talking to me as if I were a human!"_ He growled at her _"Do you think I am like you? Do you think he is? I am yautja! I live to fight! We do not settle our differences in the way of your decadent species. Do not think you can infect me with your corrupting views. Do not think you can make me into some sort of tame beast!_ _ **You**_ _are the lesser species, not_ _ **us**_ _!"_

She was getting really angry now. What he said had struck a nerve. The truth was she did find their brutish philosophy abhorrent and at odds with everything she believed. Despite all that had happened she still clung to the idea that there had to be a better way and deep down, part of her _had_ thought that somehow she could persuade him, teach him that violence was not always the answer. She'd thought that his intelligence might make him capable of more civilised behaviour – more _human_ behaviour. In fact, she'd gotten so used to being around him that sometimes she forgot he _wasn't_ human. He was her only ally here, the thought that he might see her as inferior – that he would side with them against her – hurt her feelings and that made her even angrier.

" _Is that what you really think?!"_ She hissed back _"You are just like D'Kand! He thinks I am a lower life form!"_

" _Do not compare me to him!"_ He snarled, but she went on _"You think you are so fucking honourable compared to us lesser creatures? You are all too scared to do anything that goes outside your little system of rules and codes. You all need permission from your council before you breathe!"_

They glared at each other in silence.

" _Perhaps R'Zuul is right."_ He said, as if to himself.

" _What has R'Zuul been saying about me?"_ She was immediately defensive. She knew the squad leader didn't like her.

He looked at her steadily _"He told me that in a few days we will be within range of your planet. You may go back there if you wish it. It is probably best for all concerned."_

She was speechless, a chance to go back to Earth? She didn't know what to say – it seemed like a dream come true.

He was still watching her with those yellow eyes, trying to judge her reaction. Then abruptly he shook himself and stalked past her.

" _Wait, just –_ "She put out a hand as if to detain him but he threw her off violently, knocking her against the wall and turning on her, jaws spread ferociously.

"NEVER TOUCH ME!" He bellowed in English, right into her face.

Her instinct was to shrink back in alarm but she made herself stand unmoving, stoney-faced, not showing any fear.

" _Why not?"_ She said furiously, voice like a whiplash in the sudden quiet _"Worried what D'Kand will say about you?"_

He stared at her for a moment, terrifyingly angry, face working with rage. Then, abruptly he left. She watched him go in silence.

* * *

Over the next few days, she thought about speaking to R'Zuul about going back to Earth. It wasn't that she didn't want to go. Sometimes she wanted it so badly it was like a physical ache. Every day she woke up and meant to go and speak to him but something always prevented her. Partly it was because she disliked him so much. She hated the way he always belittled her, called her a pet – like she was an animal. More importantly than that, she did not trust him. What if, for whatever reason, he wanted her dead? The thought of asking him for help made her skin crawl.

She didn't want to admit it but she knew she was waiting for Scar to return, she didn't really trust anyone else but him. Surely his temper would have subsided by now "I will make him help me!" She told herself "And if he won't do it for the sake of the debt he owes me or of being my friend – if he even knows what that means – then he can do it for his own sake. He said he wanted to be rid of me!"

Two weeks seemed a long time on her own before she could leave. She started off by just sitting in the sleeping quarters, staring moodily out of the window, waiting for a glimpse of her own world. In the end she got so restless that she decided she should use her anger constructively and go to the gymnasium.

She was practising dispiritedly with the spear, wondering why she was bothering "I won't need to do this any more back on Earth!"

Suddenly, she became aware that someone was standing behind her quite close, and instinctively she ducked. A set of blades like her own passed just over her head. As she turned to see her attacker, a blow struck her on the jaw. Stunned, she staggered backwards, spitting blood onto the floor. As she brought her hands up to defend herself and saw H'Ritz standing in front of her, grinning.

Realising that H'Ritz never went anywhere without D'kand she was about to turn to see where he might be, but before she could move a hand seized her by the back of the neck, lifted her off the ground and then threw her across the room. She landed hard on her shoulder but as fast as she could, she flipped upright and twisted round to face her attackers. There were three of them, H'Ritz, Kirin and, of course, D'Kand. They were standing round her – watching to see what she did.

Quickly, she scanned the gymnasium but it seemed to be otherwise deserted. There had been a few younger adolescents there when she came in, but they'd now gone. She was alone with the three of them.

Their silence was unnerving. "If they all attack at once I'm totally fucked." She thought. She had to try and keep them talking until she an opportunity to escape. She stood up straight and said loudly _"I am busy here. What do you want?"_

They looked at each other, amused. H'Ritz said _"We thought we would challenge you to some sparring."_

" _Three of you against one of me? That does not seem very_ _ **honourable**_ _."_ She spat the word like an expletive.

D'Kand snarled _"The rules of combat do not apply with an abomination like you."_

She thought for a moment, if he meant to attack her there was no point in begging for mercy. It would confirm his view of her and all humans as weak and pathetic and would elicit no pity. She had to stand up to him, speak aggressively. If she made him angry enough maybe he'd make a mistake that would enable her to escape. She'd seen before how anger made him reckless and she knew he lacked the brain-power for any kind of battle of wits.

She lifted her chin and said scornfully _"Is it that you are too afraid to take me on by yourself, D'Kand?"_

" _I? Afraid of you?"_ He spat on the floor _"You dare talk to me as if you are my equal?"_

" _I do not hear your denial."_ She circled around him, trying to look for a way to slip past them and get away, but the other two were constantly moving round to block her exit.

D'Kand spread his mandibles threateningly _"I will show you, ooman, just how inferior you are. I will dismember you and use your skull as a drinking bowl. We will see how S'Kia likes that when he returns."_

She stood facing him _"If you are too afraid to attack me on your own then just say so. I saw the beating S'Kia gave you last time! "_

He was immediately incandescent with fury _"That weak-willed deviant? He is as much of an abomination as you are – and after you are dead I will destroy him too. I notice he is not here. Has he finally become sickened by your tainted presence and come to his senses?"_

To her surprise that shot actually hurt, because she suspected that was exactly what had happened. She shrugged, feigning total unconcern _"I do not need him to protect me from filth such as you."_

D'Kand spread his claws and moved into fighting stance _"You will have cause to regret saying such things."_

He leapt at her making to grab hold of her but she leapt back, unfortunately right into the clutches of H'Ritz who had come silently up behind her. He slashed her across the cheek, his claws leaving bright red tracks of blood on her skin, and then landed a punch in her ribs. As she doubled over he kneed her in the face.

She reeled backwards, stars flashing across her field of vision. There was roaring sound in her ears and she realised that it was her own blood pounding. As she staggered backwards, Kirin hit her in the small of the back and punched her in the head again sending her flying the other way. Somehow she managed to stay upright but her head was spinning. She spat more blood and brought a hand up to wipe it away as she tried to focus on the three figures in front of her.

"They're playing with you," said a cold, detached part of her mind "Scar's hit you harder than this before in sparring. They're drawing it out – they don't want it to be over too quickly."

She felt another blow land above her eye and the next knocked the spear from her hand. Someone hit her again – she lost count of how many times they hit her. The last blow in her stomach drove all the breath from her body and she finally fell over, landing curled in a foetal ball.

She frantically tried to marshal her thoughts. She still had her knife stuck in her boot. If she could reach it she could maybe at least take one of the bastards' eyes out – if they came close enough. Moving slowly, hoping they wouldn't notice, she drew the blade out of her boot top. She groaned as she did it, as if she were racked with pain – not really having to act very much. The dagger she held concealed along the length of her forearm, the hilt gripped in her palm. She'd been lucky so far that they were not using weapons but it was clear that was only because they were toying with her. That would come soon. She fought to stay conscious. If she blacked out they'd make sure she never woke up.

She heard footsteps approaching her through the haze of agony.

" _You see now female? You really do not really present much of a challenge!"_ D'Kand tone was mocking as he bent down next to her _"You are weak, like all your species. Your only real use is as living hosts for the hard meat – or as prey for us."_

"Good!" she thought "If I had to choose one of them to maim for life, it'd be him."

He picked her up by the throat and lifted her at arm's length. She struggled, her feet trying to get purchase on the floor, then heard the metallic 'shing' of his wrist knives sliding out. There really wasn't anything she could do to break his hold, but she still had the knife held concealed along one arm. She just had to get him to bring her close enough to use it.

Opening the one eye that would still open she looked him right in the face. _"You are a pathetic coward!"_ She whispered harshly, struggling for breath and spat a mouthful of bloody saliva at him. His mocking expression disappeared. With an enraged snarl he brought her face right up close to his own. "Bingo!" she thought.

As he held her body near him she flipped the knife round and stuck it as far as she could into the most vulnerable part within her reach, the hollow between his leg and his groin. She slipped the thin blade under the lip of his armour, stabbing the point about an inch into the flesh. His face registered shock but he was immediately still. To make sure she had his full attention she twisted the blade a little – making his eyes water.

" _S'Kia threatened to put out your eyes once,"_ She said softly _"But I think I know something you would miss more."_ She twisted the blade again _"Shall we find out together?"_

He looked at her furiously but obviously wasn't about to move just in case she slid the blade in any further. Then his eyes lit on something beyond her face. _"Put her down."_ someone said. She recognised Rika's voice. D'Kand's grip on her throat loosened and she drew out the knife blade as he lowered her slowly to the ground. When he let her go, it was all she could do not to fall to her knees. She could just about see Rika, flanked by G'rithik and Halkrath, their faces hardly visible through the blood seeping into one eye.


	7. Chapter 7

Scar landed the smaller shuttle, the Penumbra, in the onboard dock and sat at the controls for a moment, thinking. He knew that R'Zuul was not expecting him back yet; he'd only been away for seven days. He didn't worry that his squad leader would be too concerned though. He'd only been tasked with scouting duties – fairly routine stuff to make sure their sector of the planets and territories the clan counted as their own were not being violated by any hostile force. It had taken less time than he'd expected and there was no sign of any encroachment that he could find. In any case, he knew R'Zuul's main purpose had been to get him off the ship.

The time away from the atmosphere of the Shadow had made him calmer, at least on the surface. Underneath, he was unable to keep from turning over the events of the past months in his head: the deepening feud with D'Kand, his unsettling conversation with R'Zuul and – more than anything else – his relationship with the human, which seemed to be at the root of all his problems. His frame of mind was still somewhat disturbed but he was thinking more clearly than he had been for weeks.

One thing he had decided above all else was that he wanted to speak to Lex and resolve their previous disagreement. He had been angry with her when he left and now he wasn't sure why. The more he turned it over in his brain, the more it seemed like the problem had been with others rather than with anything she had done. He liked to think of himself as loyal to those he counted as allies and his anger towards her had not been justified, he realised it now.

He stepped off the shuttle, still masked and armoured, and started to make his way to the upper decks that housed the communal living areas of the ship. He was hungry and was on his way to get food, but on the way he happened to run into G'Rithik and Rika. Both of them seemed rather shocked to see him.

" _S'Kia! What are you doing here? R'Zuul said you were going to be away for a while."_ G'Rithik said.

" _Well, I am back."_ He looked from one to other, a little puzzled by their odd behaviour _"Surely you have not managed to fuck anything up too seriously in my brief absence?"_

As he spoke he noticed them look at each other momentarily, it was obvious there was something they weren't saying.

Rika shifted uncomfortably _"S'Kia, we are not supposed to tell you but – "_

G'Rithik rounded on him _"Put your stupid jaws together!"_

" _I do not see what difference it makes!"_ Rika growled back _"He will know soon enough. Everybody knows!"_

" _Spit it out, before I spill your guts for you!"_ S'Kia gave an infuriated snarl – they both turned to look at him.

" _The ooman was attacked."_

" _By whom?"_

" _R'Zuul forbade me to tell you but I think you can guess,"_ Rika looked distinctly uncomfortable _"I… heard some juveniles talking about it on their way down from the gymnasium, saying someone had her cornered in there and that there was going to be a massacre. I thought I would go and see what was happening."_

" _And then?"_

" _They were going to kill her… eventually."_

Rika waited for the outburst of rage but there was no reaction. It seemed to take a few minutes for Scar to digest this information. _"And where is she now?"_ He asked, finally.

" _We took her to the infirmary. As far as I know she is there still."_

Scar stood for a few moments, his expression concealed under his mask. Then he turned on his heel and stalked off down the corridor, back the way he'd come.

" _S'Kia wait! Where are you going?"_ Rika called after him. Behind him, G'rithik sighed _"Where do you think he is going, idiot? He is going to kill D'Kand!"_

* * *

Lex was currently in a state of semi-sedation. She'd already left the infirmary and was back in the sleeping quarters, spending the past day in a narcotised drowse. She'd managed to persuade the medics to give her painkillers. Most hunters would refuse them as a matter of pride but she was sick of all the macho crap and had decided she wasn't going to suffer any more unnecessary pain. She hadn't realised quite how strong they were going to be. Having only taken half the dose the medics had (extremely grudgingly) recommended she was still flying.

To give the medics their due, she was grateful they were so skilled at patching you up after a fight – probably because that's what they did all the time. She doubted that she would've been able to walk out of the infirmary after only a couple of days otherwise. She'd also been lucky that her injuries, though painful, were not permanent or life threatening. She guessed D'Kand and his friends had been interrupted before they'd got a chance to start on her properly. The damage looked worse than it was. Her face was still purple in places but the swelling had mostly gone down and miraculously she hadn't any broken bones. Her ribs were the injury that hurt the most, but they were bruised rather than broken.

She was sleeping on her uninjured side when she thought she heard someone say her name. Assuming it was part of her sedative-riddled dream, she mumbled something indistinct and tried to go back to sleep. Again someone was talking to her, forcing her into consciousness and she realised the voice wasn't just in her head.

For a split second, fear flashed through her mind that it might be one of those three bastards come to finish the job and she squinted, desperately trying to focus on the hunter standing in front of her. Automatically she went to rub the sleep from her eyes and cursed as she'd forgotten they were still bruised and sensitive.

As her vision cleared, she realised it had to be Scar. He was the only one who had access to the room anyway. Despite the fight they'd had before he left she was incredibly happy to see him and her face split involuntarily into a broad grin _"I did not think you were going to come back until after I was gone!"_

He didn't say anything, just stood looking down at her. He looked as if he might still be angry – really angry. He was breathing hard, his chest heaving like it had done when she'd seen him lose his temper before. When he finally spoke she could tell from his voice that he _was_ furious. Every word was a poisonous hiss _"I came to find you because I wanted to see for myself. Now that I have, I just want you to tell me: who has dared to do this?"_

She squinted up at him, confused – her brain still foggy from the effects of the drugs and the lingering sleepiness. Surely he knew?

He continued _"Rika told me what happened – but not their names. So I want to hear it from you._ _ **Give them to me.**_ _"_ By the time he finished speaking, his voice was a blood-curdling growl.

Lex thought for a moment. R'Zuul had been to see her during her brief stay at the infirmary and had made it obvious his visit was not anything to do with concerns for her health. He wanted her gone, he'd said so very bluntly. They'd had a tense conversation in which he told her that she had to leave as soon as she they were within landing distance of Earth. Obviously she hadn't argued with him about going back to Earth – it was what she'd wanted for a long time – but she was curious about why he was suddenly so keen to get rid of her.

" _You are an irritant that causes trouble wherever you go, ooman bitch!"_ R'Zuul had said brusquely, his voice crackling with dislike _"If S'Kia carries on this feud the council may decide to execute him. I want you gone… before you decide the matter for him."_

Now that she was to face to face with Scar, she resolved to put a stop to this. She couldn't let him write his own death warrant in this stupid fashion _"You do not need to do anything. R'Zuul told me – "_ she began.

" _I am not interested in anything R'Zuul has to say."_ He cut her off _"I just want you to give me their names."_

" _Why? So that you can go crazy and get locked up again?"_

" _No. So that I can kill them all."_

" _Have you learned nothing?"_ She closed her eyes wearily and pinched the bridge of her nose _"Why do you think they did this to me in the first place? Because of your war with D'Kand! Do you not see that it is just going to make things worse? Forget about getting revenge. "_

" _This has got nothing to do with revenge."_ He snarled, fingers twitching in agitation " _Either you must kill him yourself – or I must."_

" _I am not going to – why does everything always have to end in death? Can you not drop your stupid feud?"_

He began prowling the room like a caged animal, talking to her almost as if he were talking to himself _"This will end in death no matter what_ _ **I**_ _do. All that remains to be decided is who will die. D'Kand is not playing a game. He hates me certainly, but he loathes you because you are human!"_

" _I do not care what he thinks of me!"_ She retorted.

He turned on her suddenly _"It is not his opinion that is at stake!"_ He roared _"It is your life!"_

" _What are you talking about?"_ Despite herself, she was beginning to get angry – stung by this sudden outburst of aggression. She was still suffering the effect of the tranquillisers and it was making her feel as if she were drunk or stoned. She couldn't see what he was driving at.

" _The clan would not take any real action against him for killing a human, blooded or not."_ He snorted dismissively _"I am surprised they troubled themselves to intervene this time. If we let him live it is only a matter of time before he lays your flayed corpse at my feet. That is why he has to die!"_

As he said it he was already walking towards the door. Almost fully awake now, she sprang up off the bed and put herself between him and the doorway, spreading her arms across it. He checked and stood facing her, seething.

" _I am not going to let you do this. It is stupid."_ She said flatly.

" _You cannot prevent me so get out of my way!"_ He growled, looming over her. In the confines of the tiny room he seemed huge, but this only made her angrier. Did he think he could just bully her into submission? The drugs were eroding her usual self-possession, making her fearless.

" _Or what?"_ She yelled back, glaring up at him _"You will attack me yourself!?"_

" _I do not want to_ _ **fight you**_ _!"_ He roared, right in her face _"I am trying to_ _ **protect you**_ _because you refuse to protect yourself! Can you not see that, you stupid, soft-meat bitch?!"_

Enraged, she lashed out and punched him in the jaw, catching him on the bone. She hurt her hand but managed to draw blood, emerald green spattering across the metal floor. It was a split second loss of control. Chin up, staring him straight in the eye, she braced herself for the retaliation but none came.

He just stood there jaws twitching, almost shaking with fury …but he did nothing. A creeping sense of unease stole over her. In the gymnasium he never shrank from dealing out blows that made her head ring and left her bruised or bloodied if she wasn't quick enough. Now his strange lack of response filled her with a creeping dread – but whatever was wrong with him, she refused to let herself be intimidated.

" _The soft-meat bitch will be gone soon."_ She said through gritted teeth, massaging some life back into her hand " _You said yourself I should go back to my own planet so why are you so eager to throw your life away for nothing?"_

" _Because D'Kand is right!"_ He spat back and then, stopped short as if he hadn't meant to say it. He froze and an odd look flickered across his face almost….guilty.

She frowned _"I do not understand you, right about what?"_

When he spoke again it was like he was being forced to it at knife point, jaws clenched with suppressed rage _"What he says …about me."_

She blinked in bewilderment but then as she saw his expression, the pieces suddenly started to fall into place: the over-protectiveness, the weird behaviour over the last few weeks, the disproportionate anger. She'd thought he'd lost his temper with D'Kand because he was _insulted_ by his comments and innuendoes. Now it was dawning on her that it was actually because D'Kand, whether he knew it or not, had struck a nerve. He didn't just like her, he desired her and he had no idea what to do about it. She wondered how she could not have noticed before.

"I just didn't see it because it's ridiculous!" She thought "Why would he even think about me in that way? I sure as hell haven't thought about him …or maybe I have but not… seriously, because he's so …"

As she stared at him in shock, she was horrified to discover that she was not repelled – quite the opposite in fact. It was as if all the anger she'd been feeling suddenly turned and crashed down on her, a huge tidal wave of unexpected lust, no less powerful because she knew absolutely that it was disgusting. "What is _wrong_ with me?" She thought, horrified.

He was a different species; he was fantastically _, revoltingly_ , ugly by human standards. Worse than this, he was an arrogant bastard who drove her insane. She knew all this but – whether it was down to the painkillers or stress or maybe it had been there all along – God help her, she didn't care.

There were a few moments of appalled silence as they stared at each other.

He was first to break it, he made a move towards the door _"Get out of my way."_ He said again _"This changes nothing. I am going to kill him now."_

She stepped forward, right up close to him, knowing now that there was at least one sure-fire way she could keep him in this room. She laid a hand flat on his chest and he stared at it as if he'd never seen it before.

" _What is the matter?"_ She said _"Are you afraid? Forget about D'Kand… stay here."_

" _You are drugged. You do not know what you are saying."_

"Don't bullshit me!" She spat in English.

" _What you suggest is disgusting and unnatural and vile. And it is forbidden!"_

" _Unnatural? Forbidden?!"_ She sneered _"More excuses!"_

Pale with rage, he leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart _"Why are you goading me?"_ He snarled.

She looked straight into his demonic eyes _"Because I thought you were supposed to be fearless,"_ She hissed _"But now I see that you are just a_ _ **coward**_ _!"_

She saw the moment, the very instant, that his self-control finally shattered. His eyes flared and for a moment she wondered if she'd gone too far, using the one insult she knew would enrage him the most. With a snarl he seized hold of her as if he would tear her apart but then he wrapped one arm tightly round her waist and dragged her up against him making her wince in pain as he crushed her bruised ribs. He grabbed a handful of her hair, yanked her head back and buried his face in her neck, sinking his teeth into her. She felt the skin break and something hot run down into the hollow of her throat.

She responded by pressing the whole length of her body up against him and biting him back as hard as she could on the shoulder. Her mouth tingled with the bitter, unfamiliar taste of his blood, mingling with her own as the cut on the inside of her lip reopened.

Too impatient to bother with the fastenings on her suit he grabbed two fistfuls of it and pulled, tearing it off her body, whilst she wrenched frantically at the clasps of his armour. Bits of metal plate went clashing onto the floor at her feet, but when she'd finally managed to get his armour off she checked in surprise.

His cock was the most bizarre thing she'd ever seen. It was covered in ridges of translucent spikes "It's like a weapon, or some kind of hardcore sex toy!" she thought. Fascinated, she ran her hand along it. The spines were flexible, more like cartilage than bone. They bent and sprang back under her fingertips.

He gave an involuntary shudder at her touch and purred deep in his throat, sending a shiver up her spine and making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Lifting her off her feet easily, he slammed her up against the door, driving the breath out of her lungs. Knowing she was being stupid and reckless she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, the thudding of her pulse in her ears drowning out everything else.

* * *

Much later, in the dim night-hours lighting of the room, she opened her eyes and with one hand pushed damp tendrils of sweat-drenched hair off her forehead and looked at him in the darkness.

" _So tell me, exactly how much trouble would you get into if anyone knew about this?"_

He shrugged, rolling onto his back _"It depends on how lenient Narjat and those other old bug-fuckers are minded to be. Officially the penalty for unsanctioned sexual intercourse is castration… or possibly death."_

"What?!" She sat up – horrified. "Surely they wouldn't really do that to you?"

" _If you are lucky they may just expel you – because you are not one of our species and you are a female. They might even send you back to your planet – if you are lucky. For me, the penalty for unsanctioned sexual intercourse would be far harsher. I do not know if it makes a difference because you are human. I doubt the question has arisen previously…"_

"But that's barbaric!" She was so shocked she lapsed into English.

" _I do not understand that word."_ His spikey brow drew down.

"'Barbarity' _means…_ uh… _uncivilised, savage, brutal –"_ She groped for the right vocabulary to explain in his language.

" _I see. So – what we did, that was_ 'barbaric'?"

" _I am being serious!"_

" _So am I. Five – or was it six? – acts of terrible_ "barbarity." He grinned at her.

" _I cannot understand how you can find this funny!"_ She said. He was surprised to see that her face was ashen _"Why did you not_ _ **tell**_ _me?"_

He looked up at the ceiling, putting one huge arm behind his head _"It was not really the foremost thing on my mind at the time and I thought… maybe you were right about my being a coward. I realised I am not afraid of the council …and I may be able to talk my way out of it."_

"Talk your way out of having your balls cut off? Out of a death sentence?"

" _I will tell them you used your devious, alien wiles to overcome my resolve and enslave me to your evil will. That I was powerless to resist. It is very nearly the truth."_

" _I knew somehow it would be my fault."_

" _Of course! You did seduce me. But how can I blame you for that? I am hugely desirable."_ He stretched and glanced down at himself complacently, then turned to look at her _"Or I could fight them. I fear no-one. And I regret nothing."_

As usual, his boundless self-belief made her think maybe he could figure a way out of it. He never seemed to worry that life would dish up anything he couldn't deal with.

" _Do they have to know?"_ She asked _"I will not tell them if – "_

" _You will not need to. They will know – unless you stay in here for many days. Any other male would be able to smell me all over you from the other side of the room. To them it will be obvious what has happened and with whom."_

He rolled over again and pulled her easily towards him with one arm _"Anyway why are we wasting time arguing?"_ He purred _"I want to make the most of my sexual organs… whilst they are still attached to me."_

"You old romantic." She murmured in English.

" _What did you call me?"_

" _Oh, I was just insulting you."_ She grinned _"I know how much you like it."_

* * *

Long after she had fallen asleep, Scar sat on the edge of the bench, thinking. It was getting near to the ship's official active hours. He looked down at the unconscious human. Of course he'd pictured many times what sexual intercourse with her (with any female!) would be like, but she had taken him totally off guard.

He'd always understood from other males that it was simply a matter of convincing the female to hold still long enough for insemination to take place – by force if necessary – and then getting the hell out of there before she gutted you. He'd expected her to be reticent, reluctant even.

" _Reluctant!?"_ He grinned to himself that he could ever have been so naive _"She is just as lascivious as I am, but considerably more… imaginative."_

He put out a talon to touch the bruises on her face. She moved slightly, mumbled something, but didn't wake up. Asleep she looked smaller, more vulnerable.

Easy to kill.

He stood up, stretched and went to wash off the dried sweat plastered to his skin. Then he came out and retrieved his scattered pieces of armour from where he'd let them fall, strapping his weaponry methodically into place on his wrists and in various holsters. He took one last look at her sleeping figure, purred to himself _"Shameless female!"_ and stepped out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him.

He'd had no sleep and he was in the most obscene amount of trouble – probably was about to get into a lot more – but he felt good for the first time in months. He couldn't suppress a grin as he set off on the hunt.

* * *

Lex woke up when she thought she heard a noise and looked round in the temporary confusion of interrupted sleep, wondering where she was. She was momentarily puzzled, wondering why she was naked and why she ached all over.

Then the memory of the previous few hours came back to her with shocking clarity. She gave a sharp intake of breath and one hand came up involuntarily to her mouth. Looking down at herself, she realised she was covered in fresh scratches, bruises and bites. She wondered if she'd managed to inflict similar damage on him and one corner of her mouth curved up, then she stretched languidly.

The next thing that occurred to her was that she was alone. She looked around. All her things were exactly where she'd left them but Scar's armour and weapons were gone.

A thought struck her like cold shower, wiping the smile right off her face and shocking her out of her state of exhausted drowsiness. He'd gone to find D'Kand – she knew it with absolute certainty. The bastard! The devious son of a bitch! She thought she'd talked him round. He'd fucked her, waited until she was asleep and then gone to do exactly what he'd been going to do all along!

"I'm such an idiot!" She groaned and rolled onto her back with her hands over her face "Why did I ever think he was going to listen to me? Out of what? Friendship? Love?! Ridiculous, he doesn't even know what those words mean, they're just alien concepts to him! He's going to get himself executed for nothing and it's all my fault!"

She sat for a moment wondering what to do. She didn't even know where he was – but at least she could look for him, maybe it wasn't too late.

She stood up, ignoring the stiffness in her limbs where she hadn't quite recovered from the attack a few days before. She was about to start pulling on her clothes, when she froze, recalling what he'd said about other males being able to smell him on her. She couldn't smell anything stronger than perspiration on her skin. Was he telling the truth or was it a strategy to keep her in the room, out of the way whilst he went after D'Kand? She wouldn't have put it past him.

In the end she went in to the wet room and hastily scrubbed herself all over as vigorously as she could stand with all the bruising. She hoped this would at least make it less obvious. Her bodysuit was unwearable, ripped clean in two. She discarded it and pulled on a different one.

The attack in the gym had made her even more wary of going about the ship without weapons so she slipped the knife into her boot and strapped her dah'kte onto her wrists. She also put on the metal wrist-com. She still didn't really know how to operate it but since the day Scar had given it to her she had always worn it anyway – reasoning maybe it would be useful. As she stepped out of the door, she didn't notice a figure detach itself from the shadows where he'd been watching the room and follow her silently down the corridor.

* * *

D'Kand had arrived just after Scar left and since then he'd been waiting for the female to emerge. He was seething with hatred after getting a dressing down from R'Zuul. As Scar had predicted, however, the squad leader hadn't done much except read him the riot act and smack him around for dishonourable conduct, nothing serious. D'Kand's head was ringing from the blows but his pride was the only thing that was truly injured and he was looking for redress. He meant to finish what he'd started in the gym.

Lex hadn't gone very far when she suddenly had an uneasy sense of being followed. She saw a shadow in front of her and managed to duck just in time as a blade sliced the wall with a nerve-shredding shriek of metal on metal.

A quick glance confirmed her worst fears and she took off down the walkway like a scalded cat with D'Kand thundering after her.

She was so busy running for her life she hardly had a moment to notice where she was going. She ran down one darkened corridor after another, not bothering to look behind because she could hear him following, feet pounding heavily on the metal floor.

To her panicking eyes, every passageway looked the same and she couldn't get her bearings. She ran up a set of stairs in the direction she thought the communal areas might be in. As she rounded the next corner she realised in dismay she'd run into a dead end. She turned just in time to see D'Kand appear, blocking her exit.

As he saw she was trapped his mandibles spread in a grin, then as he got nearer his expression changed. His jaws curled back on themselves in revulsion and she realised Scar had been telling the truth about one thing at least _"So S'Kia finally stuck the spear in you; filthy, ooman slut!"_ He grimaced _"You stink of copulation! I always knew he was sick in the head, but I did not think even he would really sink so low!"_

As he was talking she feinted to one side and made a break for it, trying to dodge under his outstretched arm and get away. He was too quick for her and caught her by the shoulder – spinning her round and smashing her back against a wall. With a bellow of rage he lunged, grabbing for her throat, intent on breaking her neck. Instinctively she brought her hand up and pressed the catch in her palm. Unsheathing the dah'kte she plunged them into his gut, his own weight giving the blow added strength. It was an automatic reaction, happening so fast she didn't even have time to think about what she was doing. He looked at her in surprise as they were both splattered with his emerald blood.

Before he could move to strike her again she withdrew the blades in a spurt of hot gore and stabbed him again. This time she twisted them, ripping a huge wound in his side – determined to prevent him from using his own wristknives. He coughed up green foam, but bought his face closer to her in a gurgling snarl, hands still groping for her.

Her jaw set in a grim line and she brought the blade up and skewered him through the throat, the triple points emerging out of the back of his neck. He made a choking noise. As she drew the blades free he collapsed and fell at her feet. She stepped back quickly out of his reach as he made a grab for her ankle and watched him struggle. One hand clutched at the wound in his neck whilst his eyes focussed on her in impotent rage. The floor was slippery with his blood.

She looked down at him dispassionately as his movements got weaker, breathing deeply and serenely as the adrenalin subsided. She couldn't bring herself to feel any pity or remorse. She hadn't even known she was going to use the dah'kte until she'd done it and after that it had been easy. "What the hell is happening to me, that I can do something like this and feel nothing at all?" She thought shaking her head slowly.

As she stood looking down at the slowly spreading pool of luminous blood, someone hit her on the back of the head.

* * *

R'Zuul had gone down to the living deck with the express purpose of confronting S'Kia and the ooman and throwing her off this ship. He'd only just heard that morning that S'Kia had returned against his express orders and he wanted to head off any trouble before it started. He'd arrived just in time to see her emerge from the room and see D'Kand go after her. He made sure that neither of them realised he was there. The thought had occurred to him that if D'Kand killed her now it might solve their immediate problems, as long as the fool could be made to keep his mouth shut. Then he could just tell S'Kia she had left unexpectedly and there would be an end to it.

He'd watched the struggle unfold – both of the fighters too busy even to notice him. Much to his amazement, it was all over before he had a chance to do or say anything. He never would have thought the ooman female had it in her to kill a fully grown male warrior in close combat.

He looked down at D'Kand. He was obviously dead _. "What a waste,"_ he thought in annoyance, _"If the idiot had only learned to keep his mouth shut during a fight he would have been a great warrior. Moreover he might have been alive!"_

He was reluctantly impressed, but it didn't deter him from his objective. He'd come up behind her where she stood and knocked her out. As soon as he came near he realised D'Kand had been right, he _could_ smell S'Kia on her. She positively reeked of him.

He clicked his jaws together in irritation _"Another fool – this one letting his groin think for him. S'Kia, what in the name of the gods possessed you? Well that only makes it all the more imperative that she should disappear. I cannot allow_ _ **that**_ _to continue."_

He considered the female as she lay at his feet, out cold. He could just kill her now, but something in his sense of honour rebelled at the idea. Ooman though she was, she didn't deserve to die that way after fighting as she had against D'Kand. Anyway he didn't need to do that, there was another option.

He lifted her feather-light body up easily, gagging slightly at the persistent stink of sex-hormones that still clung to her, and made his way down to the docking bay in the ship's hold. He opened one of the transport pods and strapped the ooman into it. She was still unconscious, her head lolling forward, long, black hair obscuring her face. With one talon, he tapped a few co-ordinates into the control panel. The door closed with a hiss as the airlock sealed. They were almost within range of her planet now so there was a possibility she would survive. At least it gave her a fighting chance.

He retreated to a safe distance and once he was behind the viewing window, used his wrist-com to open the access doors into space. He paused before pressing the launch button, feeling a slight twinge of something like shame at using such contemptible, underhand methods. He consoled himself with the reflection that one of his command had died today at the hands of this female and another was risking castration, even a possible death sentence because of her. He shook his head in disgust and pressed it, watching the pod until it was just a tiny dwindling spark in a sky full of stars.


	8. Chapter 8

Jase, Sharif and Maddy were all physics students. They were all studying at Caltech – although not right at this moment. This was partly because they were all currently slightly toasted on magic mushrooms. They'd spent the most of the week dancing, drinking and generally having a great time at Burning Man. Most of their fellow festival goers had gone back to civilisation, but they were still feeling tired and wrecked and had decided they were in no particular hurry to get back to the city. Right now they were lying on the roof of Maddy's van, watching the night sky over the Nevada desert, drinking beer and getting stoned.

They were watching for shooting stars and talking about science fiction, when what started out as one especially bright object in the sky began to get larger and larger. They all thought it was the mushrooms kicking in until finally it streaked overhead, seeming to pass only a mile or two above them with a high pitched shriek – too loud to be an hallucination. It vanished over a nearby range of hills. The next thing they heard was a distant boom with a vibration they felt through the roof of the van. It cut through the fog and caused them all to sit up in surprise.

Jase stood up rather unsteadily on the roof of the van, "Did you see that? It looked like a meteorite!"

"It sounded like it landed quite close." Maddy was sitting up and, putting on her glasses, strained her eyes to try and see where the object had struck even though it was much too far away.

Sharif blinked a few times, trying to clear the after-images of the streaking object out of his night vision, and squinted into the darkness "Pretty bright for a meteor."

"It was probably a grey, or a tripod – or maybe it was the Blob!" Jase snorted, to general giggling from all three. It had been that kind of evening.

"Or the Thing!" said Maddy.

"Look, I told you earlier, the Thing doesn't come from outer space! It's, like, frozen in the ice in Antarctica or something, and they dig it up." Jase waved a hand dismissively.

"Wrong!" Maddy screwed up her face to indicate Jase's wrong-ness "It crashes _into_ the ice _from_ space. If I could get onto google you'd be eating your words right now!"

"Seriously though," Sharif ran his fingers through his spikey hair "We should go and have a look, how many times are you going to get a chance to see a real meteorite landing?"

"Or get eaten by the Thing?"

"I told you, it's not from outer-space!"

After a bit of arguing about whether it was ok to drive on mushrooms, they decided it would probably be ok. The way they had to go was off the road, and they'd already driven quite a way from the festival site. Besides, all but the most determined party-animals had long-since departed to sleep off the effects of their particular poison. Apart from the three of them the desert was empty of people in every direction for miles around.

Maddy drove them slowly through a few miles of flat scrubland in the direction they'd seen the object fall.

"What the hell!?" As they got closer to where they guessed it might be,

she screeched to a halt in a cloud of dust and craned her neck out of the driver's window, round the murky windscreen "Look you can see over the next hill, something .. it looks like it's…. on fire."

"Fuck yeah!" said Sharif excitedly "If it is a meteorite – that would be amazing!"

"Yeah or it could be cannibal hillbillies – or a downed government spy plane" Jase regarded the flames dubiously.

"Oh right!" Sharif scoffed "So when you thought it might be a killer alien you were happy to go, but as soon as you think it might be the government -"

"I'm just saying dude – there's shit goes on we never hear about."

"Don't give me that conspiracy theory bullshit!"

"Listen, if you want to end up at Roswell getting your ass probed – "

"It's the aliens that do the ass probing, not the military" Sharif sighed.

As they approached the light they could see a wide crater. Maddy stopped the van again and opened the door, swinging her feet out "Let's go and get a closer look."

"Look you guys," Jase was starting to feel quite nervous, the mushrooms weren't helping him towards his happy place "That thing looks dangerous, we don't know what it is. I don't think we should get out of the van."

"If you don't want to go.." Sharif was already slipping out of the passenger door. He'd had a crush on Maddy for a while and had hoped that they might finally get it together at this festival. So far he'd had no luck. He felt this might be his chance to impress her. Jase sat for a moment – and then slid along the seat and dropped to the floor, hurrying after the other two.

The burning object looked like a spike of black rock, sticking up into the sky like some twisted, avant garde sculpture. It towered up into the night sky, electrical fizzles sparking along its surface and clouds of some sort of liquid still evaporating out of it. The heat coming off it was hot enough to frizzle their eyelashes, even from the distance of a few hundred feet. As they got nearer they saw that the dust bowl around it was full of smoking debris. They stood at the edge of the crater and gaped.

"Jesus-fucking-Christ – what is it?" Maddy breathed.

Jase was about to answer her, and then let out a shriek as what he'd thought to be a piece of wreckage moved and reached out a hand towards him. He almost leapt into Sharif's arms as the blackened heap groaned and moved again. Sharif was pretty scared himself, but he forced himself not to turn and run in front of Maddy. Besides, the part of his brain that was not rigid with terror thought that had sounded like a human voice. Maddy turned and ran back to the car to get her flashlight. When she returned, she shone it shakily onto the lump.

As they watched the shape rolled over slowly. A mass of black hair shifted to one side to reveal in the torchlight the face of a woman, also covered with a mask of oily grime. Sharif moved forward cautiously. She was so covered in soot and dirt (and was it blood?) that it was hard to tell anything about her or more importantly, the extent of her injuries.

"Don't touch her man!" Jase said, he was still in shock.

Maddy shut him up "Jase! She looks… I think she might be badly hurt."

Heart pounding, Sharif bent down and touched the woman's bare, bloody shoulder. She seemed solid enough. He moved the hair out of the way so he could get a better look at her. Her eyelids were flickering, eyes rolling back in her head

"I don't want to move her," he shouted to the others "What if I hurt her? What if she's got a head injury?"

Maddy came over and squatted on her haunches next to him, holding the flashlight. The sudden crisis had jolted them both out of their pleasantly stoned state – the fun and games of half an hour ago was a distant memory.

The woman's head rolled from side to side as if in the grip of a nightmare. She started to talk in feverish way – a weird not-quite language full of words and sounds none of them had heard before.

"Sharif you're the international student," Jase said from over his shoulder "What the hell kind of language is that?"

"Listen mate, my subject's physics and I grew up in Couch End! I've got no fucking clue what it is!" Sharif shook his head "Anyway that sounds like one of those languages with all the clicky noises."

He put his hands on either side of the woman's head to try and stop it moving. She started speaking urgently again – gibberish as far as he could tell.

He reached along her arm for her wrist to try and feel her pulse and found it was encased in a hard, metal wrist-guard – not a bracelet or any kind of jewellery. It looked like a metal gauntlet – armour or maybe a restraint of some kind. He laid it down again. He heard her make a noise and realised from the wince of pain that her arm was probably broken.

He looked up at Maddy and saw her face was as pale as snow in the blue desert moonlight, her eyes wide "We've gotta get her an ambulance." She said "She looks like she could be seriously hurt."

He pulled out his cellphone. Of course, it had no signal. He put it away again, shaking his head at his own stupidity. No chance of ringing 911 out here.

Jase came and knelt in the sand next to them "Do you think she came out of… that thing?"

Maddy shook her head dumbly "Maybe there was a car crash or something and she crawled over here.."

"Oh yeah – or maybe the meteorite landed on her car!"

Sharif looked up at him "This is serious – she could die!" He turned to the girl "Mads, are you compos mentis enough to drive us to a town?"

* * *

Scar had spent a frustrating morning searching fruitlessly for D'Kand. He couldn't find either H'Ritz or Kirin either and was beginning to think they had heard that he was back on the ship and were skulking in their quarters or perhaps were still locked up. He let out a breath of annoyance when he saw R'Zuul appear around a corner – obviously looking for him.

" _S'Kia,"_ His captain looked angry _"You were not supposed to be back until seven days from now, I was told you returned last night. How dare you disobey me!"_

He said, as calmly as he could, _"I must have misunderstood your instructions. I thought that I was to come back when my scouting was complete."_

R'Zuul gave him a long look _"I have been trying to find you,"_ he said _"You should know there has been a confrontation between your ooman pet and D'Kand."_

" _I know that already – it seems to be common knowledge around the ship."_

" _I mean in the last few hours,"_ R'Zuul couldn't see the younger male's expression under his mask but his whole body betrayed his sense of shock _"There was a fight. D'Kand is dead."_

" _You mean Lexxss killed him! Where is she? What happened?"_ Scar demanded.

" _She is alive, but the incident was… unfortunate."_ R'Zuul watched him carefully as he spoke _"She was worried that there might be repercussions against her, that D'Kand's friends might seek revenge. She came to ask for my help in getting back to her own planet."_

" _She asked_ _ **you**_ _for help?"_ Scar looked at him dubiously.

"Yes _, it was her choice._ S _he has left the ship._ _A_ _s we planned."_

Scar searched R'Zuul's eyes, trying to sift out the truth from the lies he knew must be there. The scenario sounded so unlikely to him. He could imagine all-too vividly D'Kand attacking Lex. He could believe Lex killing D'Kand – the thought was hugely gratifying – but Lex going begging for help to R'Zuul? She didn't like him and he was sure she would never have trusted him. And why would she go to the squad leader rather than coming to him, who was closer to her than anyone? And to just go without his permission after he'd taken her, without even telling him – his pride wouldn't let him believe that either, not after last night. She hadn't seemed to want to leave then!

As he looked at R'Zuul the realisation hit him that if he had seen her in the past few units, he would have guessed about that as well. The more he looked at him the more certain he was _"You know!"_ He thought _"You know what I have done but you are not saying anything – why? You could have me executed for this. Why are you playing games with me?"_

Cracks were beginning to appear in Scar's patience _"With_ _ **respect**_ _, R'Zuul,"_ He snarled, his tone suggesting anything but _"I saw her only a few units ago and she never mentioned she was planning to leave so soon. Also I do not believe we have yet reached the optimum launch distance for her planet. Unless she were to go there in the shuttle – "_

R'Zuul bristled _"Are you calling me a liar, you deviant?"_ He rasped _"I told you she is gone, and you should thank me S'Kia! I know what you have been doing since you got back. I know all about your obscene relations with the ooman bitch!"_

" _Obscene?!"_ Now he was beginning to get angry. How dare this deceiver stand there lying to his face and then call **him** obscene?

" _You pretend you do not know what I am talking about,"_ R'Zuul leant forward threateningly _"But I know you have had her."_

Scar glared at him, too angry to speak.

" _You do not even bother to deny it! Why waste your ammunition shooting at such a target just because you have some perverse impulse?"_ R'Zuul sneered _"Was she worth it S'Kia? Killing your own kind and forfeiting your ability to breed – even your life – for a female of an inferior species?"_

" _Do not speak of her to me!"_ He roared in R'Zuul's face _"And do not take me for a feeble-minded idiot when I know you are lying! She would never have asked you for help – she knows you detest her!"_

R'Zuul almost laughed _"S'Kia you are completely insane! You should be grateful I put her in a pod back to her own world before Nar'Jat discovers what you have done and decides to have your reproductive organs burned off –"_

It took a moment for the significance what R'Zuul had said to penetrate, but when it did he felt the chill crystallising in his brain like a shard of ice. He'd put her in a pod and they only had a limited launching distance.

" _If we are too far away from her planet,"_ He thought in horror _"The pod would break up and she would not survive. He has as good as killed her!"_

He felt a choking red mist descend, smothering any kind of rational thought. Without another word he launched himself at R'Zuul, smashing his fist into his face. The squad leader was taken by surprise. He tried to get a grip on Scar's throat, tried to hold him off or to hit him in the midsection but the younger male was beyond feeling any kind of pain, caught of the throes of an all-consuming rage.

" _You killed her – I will kill you."_ Scar's voice was a strangled hiss, almost unrecognisable.

He was dimly aware of voices in the distance as the blood roared in his ears.

* * *

Lex opened her eyes to a blur of whiteness and shivered. Everything around her was white – blinding. She winced and screwed her eyes up, trying to shut the light out. For a moment she thought she was back in the snows of the Antarctic. Sluggishly her brain started to process information. The surface under her was smooth and cool, fabric, not the burning cold of snow. She heard a murmur of voices somewhere nearby but couldn't make out the words.

She tried to sit up, but her whole body felt weighed down. The movement caused a tearing pain in her abdomen and a wave of nausea rose up in her stomach, clenching it into a poisonous knot. She rolled painfully onto her side – almost crying out as the movement agitated her ribs and broken arm – and vomited helplessly. Once she'd stopped heaving she was exhausted. The agony and the sickness had used up all her energy and she was almost immediately unconscious again.

* * *

A secure US military facility in Nevada. In a small room on the other side of a pane of thick two-way glass, Special Agent Mark Coulter fiddled with a packet of nicotine gum and wished they would allow you to smoke in government buildings.

He looked through the glass at the unconscious woman and glanced at Professor Jeanette Iversson, a tall, attractive brunette in her mid-fifties.

"Jesus, Professor! You didn't tell me she was so pretty or I'da smartened myself up." He said finally "Even with two blacked eyes, she's an angel. Not much like our usual subjects."

"Somehow it never occurred to me to mention it." Iversson made a grimace at his flippancy and continued in her brisk New-England manner "She's lucky that she still is. This lady's been through a rough time, I think we can safely assume some of her injuries were sustained during the crash – if that's indeed what it was. Cuts to the face, cracked ribs, broken arm – she was fortunate to get away with so little if what you suspect is right. My guess is she managed to get out before that thing, whatever it is, exploded. If she hadn't she'd be dead now. There's very little left of it to salvage."

"Is that what smashed her up so bad?"

"Partly. But some of the injuries are older. She's got extensive cuts and bruising all over her body, a blow to the head – that's the most worrying – minor cuts and scratches, bite marks –"

" _Bite marks_?" He asked pointedly.

"Yes, we think that's what they are. Plus some other abrasions. She's got other injuries that look older still, some weeks, or possibly months. That burn mark on her face for example. It looks like a burn with a corrosive substance, and I'd say it was deliberate – either someone else did it to her or she did it to herself."

"Sounds like she's had a high old time. Any idea yet who she is?"

She shrugged "We haven't been able to get a positive result on that. I've asked our people in Washington to cross-reference her picture, details and dental records with any known missing persons but that could take weeks, months even. And that's assuming she's even on those records. We don't even know what country she's from."

"The best thing would be if she could wake up and tell us herself. How likely is it that she'll come round – any damage to her brain?"

Iversson blew her cheeks out "With a head injury it's impossible to say. She might wake up and be right as rain. Or have extensive memory loss. Any number of things could happen. She's healthy, she's strong – there's no physical reason I can see why she shouldn't recover. It's impossible to tell until and unless she wakes up properly."

He folded a stick of gum into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully "So she's awake?"

"She was unconscious when they brought her in. Since then she's regained consciousness briefly but she wasn't lucid. The medics say it's down to shock. At the moment I've got her sedated, I think it's wise for her to stay that way, in the short term at least."

"Anything else we can tell about her?"

"Age could be anything from mid-twenties to late thirties, apart from her injuries she's in tip-top shape physically. Whoever she is she keeps herself very fit. And she talks in her sleep, the doctors tell me that's hopeful for brain activity. Couldn't say for certain where she's from in terms of nationality, but sometimes she speaks English with an American accent. However, she also speaks in another language none of us recognise. I've made a recording – see if we can pin her down a little."

He sighed and put his hands in his pockets before asking "Which brings me on to the sixty-four million dollar question: How likely is it she's had contact with our mutual friends?"

She looked at him "From the artefacts found on her – weapons, armour, technology – I'd say extremely likely. I suppose it is possible that she found them, but given the circumstances and the wreckage where she was picked up there's a very good chance indeed that she's had contact. But…" she sighed "it's all guesswork until she regains consciousness. She's been severely traumatised and she'll need time to recover. If you want answers I'm afraid you'll just have to wait." Iversson turned but to look through the window again at their subject "There is one other thing that came up when we did the routine checks that's worth noting…"

* * *

Lex woke up six days later. Where the _hell_ was she? Fully awake now and naturally cautious she surveyed her surroundings from between half closed lashes, lying as still as she could until she had a better idea of what was going on. There was no-one else around. The room she found herself in was quiet, featureless and white – but she was in a bed, what looked like a hospital bed. Waking up in this clinically clean room she felt massively disoriented. Was she on some hitherto unseen part of the ship, back on earth or somewhere else entirely?

It was like a surreal dream or maybe like waking up from one. She'd been on the ship and then…. what happened? She remembered standing over D'Kand's body and after that – a blank.

She tried to take stock of her injuries. Physically she was in pain but nothing too serious. She could move her arms and legs although her right arm hurt like hell and was bandaged up and the injury to her ribs seemed to have gotten worse.

She suddenly felt her stomach lurch again, more violently this time. It forced her to break the pretence of being unconscious and she looked round for somewhere to vomit. As she did so the door to the room opened and she was astonished to see a man – a human being! – in a medical looking uniform hurried in to help her, holding a bowl up to her mouth.

After she'd finished and looked up at him, he waved a hand in front of her face experimentally and said "Hello – are you awake? Can you hear me?"

"Yes," she said hoarsely "Where am I?"

It felt so odd to be speaking English to another human again that she had a momentary panic that she wouldn't be able to do it. He smiled but didn't answer her question, saying instead "Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"

He went on for a few minutes checking her reflexes, shining a light in her eyes, asking questions. She tried to answer him as patiently as she could but her temper was starting to twang – why didn't he just tell her where she was?

Finally he gave her a quick smile and said "I'd better get Doctor Iversson. She wanted to be notified the moment you regained consciousness."

Whatever Lex had been expecting, it wasn't the woman who entered the room. Iversson was smartly (if a little conservatively) dressed in a grey suit and had cornflower blue eyes, neat brown hair. She came and stood next to the bed whilst the uniformed man scurried in to bring her a stainless steel chair to sit on ("Weird, that there isn't one in here." Lex thought to herself).

When she was seated she turned on Lex a professional smile. "So Ms Woods, how are we feeling today?"

Lex started a little, "How do you know that's my name?" she said suspiciously.

"You talk in your sleep. You were a bit of a mystery when you first came in, but then you mentioned that name so we checked it out – and there you were! You seem to have been through the mill."

"What is this place?" Lex asked again, she was a bit groggy still, but a nagging sensation at the back of her brain was telling her that something wasn't right with this set-up.

Again there was a sense that this was not a question Professor Iversson wanted to answer and she ignored it "You were brought in with quite a lot of injuries – including being hit in the head. Do you have any memory of how you came to be here?"

"None." She admitted. It was mostly true, in the specific sense – she hadn't a clue.

"What about before that?" The other woman persisted "How far back can you remember beforehand?"

"I'm really not sure, it's all a bit of a blur…" Lex answered cautiously, reluctant to say anything about what she could remember until she was more sure of her surroundings. Besides this woman was starting to piss her off "Look, what the hell is this? Will someone here just give me a straight answer - _I_ asked _you_ a question! Where am I?"

"I can understand you must be feeling pretty angry right now." The woman's face took on a look of apparently genuine concern "You've had a difficult time. You're still in shock and you're confused but we want to help you. I need to know if your memory has been affected at all by your injuries."

Lex stared at her face "My God," she thought "I can't tell if she's lying to me or not! It's been such a long time since I was around other humans. I used to be pretty good at reading people's faces…."

She considered her next move for a moment. She was intensely suspicious of this place, these people. Something smelled wrong to her about this room, this whole operation. And even if she'd felt like she could trust this 'doctor', she would have hesitated to tell her anything – at least for now. She'd sound like either a liar or a lunatic.

She decided it was best to play dumb for the time being, try and deflect the questions until she could get answers of her own and until her arm felt better. She looked down at the floor "I can't remember anything right now. It's all a bit hazy – and I'm really tired."

Iversson's blue eyes registered slight annoyance – or was it just disappointment? It was just a flash of something but the look passed almost immediately. Her face returned to its previous professional smile. "Of course you're tired. You get some sleep. I'm satisfied you're awake and lucid again – that's the main thing." She got up and walked to the door – Lex watched with interest under lowered lids as the uniformed man scuttled in to remove the chair. "No chairs in the room," she thought "What is this place, an asylum? A prison?"

She rolled onto her back, ignoring the pain in her ribs and looked around the stark room again "In fact no furniture – except this bed. Not even a nightstand. What the hell kind of hospital doesn't allow furniture? Or windows?"

She clenched her fists under the sheets, trying to remain calm. She had to try and piece together how she got here "Last thing I can remember, I was standing over that motherfucker – right after I cut his throat. I watched him die, then it all goes black… someone must have knocked me out. My head was hurting like hell when I woke up so that would make sense. This is Earth, must be – unless I've died and gone to some minimalist version of hell."

"Someone knocked me out and put me in a pod or a shuttle and sent me back here. It was right after I killed D'Kand."

Then her eyes widened in horror "My weapons! The wrist-com! These people – whoever they are – must have taken them whilst I was out cold. How could I not realise it before? No wonder they're so keen for me to answer their questions!"

"And she said I talk in my sleep…" She remembered, with a sinking feeling in the pit of her already queasy stomach "If they found out my name from that, there's no telling what else I've been saying."

She lay back and closed her eyes "This place doesn't feel like any kind of hospital to me, it feels like a cell. And that woman doesn't look or act like any doctor I ever met – I'm going to have to tread very carefully until I find out just what's going on."

"A few months ago I'd have given almost anything to get back to earth" she thought bitterly "Now here I am, back with my own species and I'm more a prisoner than I ever was on that damn ship." She put a hand up to her face, feeling the shiny smoothness of the skin where the acid had marked her and curled up under the sheets.

* * *

Scar came round in the brig, on the floor of a cell. When he tried to move, his head and side exploded in pain. He could foggily remember being dragged off R'Zuul and hit with something heavy. He pushed himself up into sitting position, ignoring the agony.

Almost immediately the memory struck him of what the squad leader had said. Lex was gone, maybe dead. He cursed his stupidity. She'd always said he was an idiot when he tried to solve problems with his fists and she had been right. Why did he not listen to her?

He wondered how long he'd been unconscious in this room. Hours? Days? He had to go and find her. Even though he knew it was possible she had been killed, he couldn't bring himself to really believe it. All he could think of was that being in here meant he couldn't go after her and for reasons he couldn't even explain to himself he badly wanted to do that. _"I should not have wasted time speaking to R'Zuul, getting into a fight – I should have just left immediately."_ He reflected, boiling with frustration at himself.

He glanced at the door. _"Someone will be in sooner or later,"_ He thought _"I will get out – one way or another. Giving R'Zuul a beating is not a capital crime. I can pilot a shuttle. If I cannot persuade them to let me go off-ship I will just take it. One way or another, I will find out what has happened to her."_

* * *

Lex woke up to the sound of a different nurse or orderly or whatever they were, bringing food into the room. She could smell coffee, toast, oatmeal – bland stuff. She should have been relieved to finally have something familiar instead of the constant diet of strange meat she'd had to eat on the ship but even the smell of it made her feel ill. She pushed the plate away with one hand half covering her mouth "Look, can I just have some water, please?"

"Still feeling nauseous?" He immediately radiated concern "I'll get one of the doctors to come have a look at you, maybe get you something."

"So you aren't a doctor then?" she tried to keep her voice light, conversational.

He just smiled and said again "I'll see if I can get you something." And went out, taking the tray with him.

She cursed under her breath. She'd been hoping he might leave it behind. Maybe she could have stolen something she could use as a weapon – a knife or a fork, hidden it under the bedclothes. She felt naked without a weapon of some sort.

The doctor, if that's what he really was, was just as reluctant to answer any questions. He gave her some water and a couple of white pills. When she tried to detain him, put a hand on his arm – he drew away with that same impersonally professional smile. "I'm sorry, but you're gonna to have to wait for Professor Iversson. She'll be in to see you later."

She drank the water but hid the pills under her tongue. They might well be painkillers but she had no way of knowing for sure. When he'd left, she spat them into her hand under the sheet, hiding them under the mattress. She decided to see if she could get out of bed. She swung her feet round and lowered them onto the cold linoleum of the floor and tested them gently to see if they would take her weight. Didn't seem to be any problems there. She stood up rather shakily and managed to walk the length of the room – a bit unsteady at first but quickly getting better. She screwed up her face as she remembered trying to walk after being immersed in the gel tank and her legs collapsing under her, as weak as a newborn foal. It seemed like years ago, but it was surely just a matter of months….

So, she could walk and her left arm was fine, she stretched it experimentally. Only her broken arm and her ribs were still a problem – and they would heal soon enough. She walked over to the door. It was shut. She put a hand on it; metal, painted white to look like wood. She looked at the one wall where a large mirror reflected every move she made. Was she being paranoid or … was it actually two-way glass, so they could watch her? She frowned and decided that she had to assume it almost certainly was.

"So: what kind of people have the money and the motive to keep me locked away in this set-up?" she asked herself sitting back down on the bed "Someone with access to sizeable funds and a vested interest in getting something out of me... perhaps Weyland Corps are trying to recoup their investment."

Professor Iversson came to check on her every day after she regained consciousness. She treated Lex with friendly concern but always she would return to the questions about her memory. Lex gave her only the vaguest of answers.

After two or three days, she had another visitor. Two of the uniformed men came in and showed her into an adjoining room with tables and a chair.

She was pacing up and down when he came in. For months she'd been used to hours of strenuous exercise every day – now the forced inactivity was making her restless and irritated. If it hadn't been for her injuries she'd have been able to do some real exercise.

She turned when she heard the door open. A tall, broad shouldered man, wearing an expensive-looking suit and carrying a briefcase so big it looked like he was planning a holiday, stood there. She guessed he was about in his late forties, tall, broad, sandy hair, hazel eyes – a craggy, sunburned face. He looked like a farmer shoehorned into an Armani suit.

He walked towards her holding out a hand "Ms Woods?" He said in an accent that put him somewhere in the midwest "I'm Agent Mark Coulter, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Agent Coulter," Arms folded, she ignored the hand he offered and gave him a stiff nod of acknowledgement before turning away again "I wish I could say the same but I can't pretend I'm pleased to be here."

He smiled amiably, not at all abashed, drew up a chair and flopped down in it "Can I offer you coffee, anything to drink?"

She shook her head, still not turning to look at him.

"They been treating you OK? You had us pretty worried for a while there - "

She finally turned on him, her dark eyes snapping angrily "I'm being _treated_ fine, but all the hospitality in the world isn't going to make up for being kept locked up against my will without any explanation. I'd be more pleased to see you if you were to give me a few answers."

"Shoot. What d'ya wanna know?"

She took the chair opposite him and rested her elbows on the table and steepled her fingers together, leaning her head forward, stoney-faced. "Anyone would think it was her interviewing me, not the other way round." He thought.

"What is this place and why am I being held here?" she said "And don't give me any more bullshit because I know it's not a hospital and I also know my injuries are not that serious!"

"OK," He shrugged "Ms Woods, this is a secure government facility. You're here because you were discovered in extremely unusual circumstances – circumstances that lead us to believe you may have information that is sensitive to national, possibly even global, security."

No reaction, she seemed to be waiting for him to go on.

"Doesn't jog your memory? OK." he popped a piece of gum into his mouth and chewed for a moment "I've read your file with interest Ms Woods. There's a lot of folks who'd be very keen to know your whereabouts."

"Such as…?"

"Well, the Weyland Corporation for one. According to what they told us you were hired by them, in fact by their CEO – Charles Weyland – in person, to lead an expedition to an island in Antarctica."

She nodded, she wasn't surprised they'd been able to find out that much. He cleared his throat and continued.

"As far as we've been able to make out your team were exploring some sort of underground structure they'd discovered – and let me tell you, they've been pretty damn cagey about releasing any details. Bottom line, the whole landing party for that expedition disappeared, everyone on it presumed dead – including yourself and Weyland."

She shut her eyes for a moment and said "If you already know all this, why – "

He cut her off "According to the company the last time anyone saw you was when you left the boat, the Piper Maru. They claim they lost contact with your party once you entered a tunnel under a whaling station on Bouvetøya Island off the coast of Antarctica. Now you suddenly pop up in the middle of Nevada. That's quite a distance away."

"I've already told you and – whatshername – Iversson, I don't remember anything about the desert." She said, almost wearily.

"Yeah, I read the report," he chewed thoughtfully for a moment "Let me try and jog that memory again." He reached under the table and brought out a briefcase. Snapping it open he drew out an envelope and drew out a sheaf of photos, colour Polaroids of the burned out pod, and slid them across to her. She flipped through them disinterestedly – "What is this?"

"This is the object that was found near where you were picked up. Pretty scorched but it looks a bit like it might be some kind of transport. Doesn't ring any bells?"

She put the photos down without comment.

"Well, what about this?" He brought out a plexiglass case and placed it on the table between them. Sealed inside it was one of her wrist-blades.

She glanced at it "Don't recognise this either?" he asked.

"Should I?"

"You were wearing it when you came in. You don't know what it is?"

She looked up at him, waiting, and he was struck again by how attractive she was. Long, black hair, dark skin, a figure that was athletic but still appealingly curvaceous and full lips that made you think about kissing her. But her face was cold. It was utterly blank betraying no emotion whatsoever, giving the appearance of a mask. There wasn't even confusion, which was odd – there should at least have been that.

Years ago her looks would've had an effect on him, but he'd interrogated many beautiful women since then. They always started off thinking they had the upper hand because they were used to men falling over one another to please them. They soon learned differently.

They all broke in the end, everyone did. There was a way to break anyone. Sleep deprivation, drugs, humiliation and if all else failed, pain – there was always pain. Amazing how few people could withstand physical suffering.

He was just sorry that circumstances dictated he couldn't really use some of the harsher techniques on her. _That_ would've been interesting. For now he'd have to make do with just talking.

He decided to change tack "Ms Woods, I'm going to lay it on the line for you." He put the case down and placed his palms flat on the table "About eight months ago you disappeared in extremely suspicious circumstances. Everyone presumed you'd died in Antarctica along with the rest of your team. No trace was found of any of your group. Now suddenly you turn up thousands of miles away – very much alive – again in bizarre circumstances. Where have you been for the past eight months?"

"Is this a criminal matter?" she said, lifting one eyebrow scornfully.

"The company would sure like to know what happened to their expedition and all their expensive equipment. They lost a lot of dough on that trip, not to mention their CEO." He looked her right in the eye "And those people on your team, they all had families, partners, people who'd like to know what happened to them too. You want answers, what about them? The least you can do is give them some answers about what happened to their loved ones."

She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose as if distressed, the first signs of any emotion he'd seen her show apart from rage. Finally she said "They're dead. All of them."

"You're sure of that?"

She breathed out "As sure as I can be."

"How did they die?"

"There were…unforeseen circumstances." She paused "Weyland insisted on setting out before there was a chance to do the proper training – we were unprepared. Terrain like that, if you're unprepared you die."

"Just what sort of unforeseen circumstances are we talking about here?" He spread his hands "Weather conditions? Rock fall?"

She said nothing, just returned his gaze calmly, unblinkingly.

"What were you looking for up there?"

"Why don't you ask Weyland Corp?" she said "They probably have more information than I do."

"But you were there."

She looked at him angrily, unwilling to say more. Every instinct he had told him she was holding out on him – fuck, he knew it. "She's not bad," he thought "Doesn't scare easy; I'll give her that – plays her cards close. She probably hasn't told me a direct lie. But she isn't as clever as she thinks she is. Still thinks she can deflect me with this ice-queen act of hers." He was familiar with the strategies people used to avoid telling you the truth without ever actually lying. They couldn't last forever. He hadn't even started in properly on her yet and he had plenty of time.

She looked down at the table for a moment "You didn't answer _my_ question."

He looked at her enquiringly. She went on "I asked you if this is a criminal matter. If not, let me go – or I want to speak to a lawyer."

"Ms Woods I don't think you fully understand the situation. I told you, this is a matter of _national security_. I have the authority to hold you for as long as I think it's necessary. You won't get to see a lawyer until we decide you need one."

For the first time he got a reaction. Her eyes widened and her hands balled up into fists, for a moment he thought she might leap across the table at him "That's totally illegal!" she spat "You can't _do_ that – "

He shook his head, almost sadly "Unfortunately for you, I can. And besides Ms Woods, as far as the rest of the world knows, you're dead. Even the Weyland Corporation doesn't know you're here. I suggest you consider that. We'll talk again tomorrow."

She glowered at him, eyes blazing, as he got up to leave – putting the photos and glass container back in the case. "Let her stew," he thought "Let her have a chance to get a handle on her situation. She'll soon figure out where her interests lie."

As he walked out, her fists were clenched so tightly that a trickle of blood dribbled down her hand and dripped onto the table.

* * *

Coulter went straight from the interview with Lex to see Professor Iversson. Iversson was sitting at a desk in the lab, hunched over one of the artefacts they'd found on the subject.

"Professor?" he greeted her, coming into the lab after swiping his card and punching in the code "Any more progress with your new toy?"

"Not yet, I sent the rest of the research team home but I can't trust anyone else with this" she indicated Lex's wrist-com which she'd been studying closely under a scanner. "All the accounts we've heard indicate that this contains a bomb, capable of producing quite a sizeable explosion – so I can't afford to press the wrong button. I'll need to get some remote equipment to do it, probably in a bunker some distance from here. I've put in a request for facilities but it may take a little while." she straightened up and took off her glasses "Any luck on your side? Was she any more forthcoming with you than she was with me?"

"She sure is cagey, and angry! I don't think I ever met a woman who was so… cold." He sat down opposite her and poured himself a cup of coffee from her machine "This stuff is so much better than the crap in the vending machines!" He raised his styrofoam cup at her in an ironical toast.

"Still think she's an angel?" She smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe more of a fallen angel," He grimaced "Kitten's got claws."

Iversson gave him a look "Did she scratch you?" She said almost mockingly.

"Nah, but for a second there…"

"Did you ask her about the weapons?" She accepted the case back from him.

"Nothing, not a blip." he rubbed his nose "She knows though, she didn't even ask what they were."

"Don't be so sure," She frowned dubiously "People react in funny ways when they've been through a traumatic experience. Sometimes they switch off emotionally because they can't deal with the pain and distress. Sometimes the brain just wipes it out. Maybe she really doesn't remember anything."

He shook his head "Bullshit, I've dealt with plenty of cases where the subject's got amnesia. They always seem confused, scatterbrained, flustered. Our Ms Woods is cool as ice and she chooses her words _very_ carefully. I've questioned spies who were all over the place compared to her."

"But that's what I'm trying to explain, her lack of emotional response could be down to shock – "

"Any word yet on those recordings? Do we know what the language is she was babbling when she came in?"

"Nothing yet. Doesn't check out against anything on our linguistics database, but she was – is – a sort of explorer, travelled a lot anyway. There's always the possibility it could be an obscure dialect from some far-flung tribe or something – "

"Yeah – or something."

"I didn't build a career in this unit on jumping to conclusions Agent Coulter," she looked at him severely.

"Hell no, neither did I – I built it on gut feelings and I got one about this lady." he popped more gum "She knows about all this shit (he waved a hand to indicate the weapons and other artefacts sealed in glass cases around the lab) and she ain't saying. But she'll tell us in the end."

"Just don't rush her, that's all _I'm_ saying. You have time."

He watched the coffee machine gurgling away, deep in thought "Has she said anything to you about… her health?"

"No, why should she?"

"Well I just thought she mighta, you know, asked you about it?" He scratched an eyebrow "You say she's been pretty sick since she got here…."

"Not a word. But as you say, she's not very talkative."

He turned to her suddenly "Do you think she knows what's wrong with her?" He said.

She adjusted her glasses again, as she always did when she was thinking, "When someone is this withdrawn it's hard to say. She hardly gives me the time of day. Why?"

"I just wonder." he scratched his chin "I wonder if we might be able to get a response out of her. You tried, I tried, we both got nowhere. Maybe it's time to drop the bomb on the lovely Ms Woods. And maybe you should sit in on the next interview. Do a little good cop, bad cop."

"Are you sure that's wise? It's a bit early in the hostilities to go nuclear."

"Hey, attack is the best form of defence right? Sometimes you need to strike early, catch 'em off balance – while they're still wondering what the hell happened."

She shrugged "You're the professional inquisitor – you would know."

"Yeah, I would." He swung his jacket onto his shoulder and stood up. "Till tomorrow Professor. Enjoy."

She nodded and bent back to her work.


	9. Chapter 9

Lex was tired the next day. She'd spent a sleepless night, still feeling sick and sometimes even feverish.

Since getting here her dreams had often been full of teeth and slithering shapes, knives and long dark corridors. Even more disturbing were the other kinds of dreams. She'd tried to stop herself thinking about Scar. She wanted to lock him in a dark room in her mind, but the door sometimes refused to stay shut. Sometimes when she was sleeping, or when she was drifting on the edge of it, she dreamt about him. Disturbing, unpleasant dreams that were also half-nightmares, drenched in blood and sweat and violent sex.

This morning she'd woken up from one of those dreams with a gasp, her skin slick with perspiration. Disentangling her legs from the sheets, she got up – walking up and down the room trying to be calm, to stop herself shuddering. "Just get a grip!" she told herself "Even if he were here it wouldn't do you any good. He's a brutal, alien, killing machine – not to mention a son-of-a-bitch!"

Strangely though, she did miss him. When they were together she'd felt invincible, like she could take on anything or anyone. Nobody else had ever made her feel like that. Every relationship she'd been in had always seemed like a drag – like she had to diminish so that they didn't feel undermined. Every one until her partnership (as she had come to think of it) with him. Far from being intimidated by her strength or her intelligence, he forced her to call on reserves she scarcely knew she had. His own self-confidence was too rock solid to be threatened in any way.

And that wasn't all. Even before she met Scar she'd travelled the world but since he'd brought her on board the Shadow she'd been further and seen more than any other human being alive, more than anyone else could ever dream of. If she was honest she didn't know if she wanted to give that up. The adventurer in her baulked at thought of going back to a normal life, confined to one tiny planet.

Later in the day, when they came to take her to the interview room she was calm, though a little weak because she was still struggling keep anything down. She'd forced herself to eat breakfast this morning but it had been an effort.

She sat down at the table knowing that, outwardly at least, she was perfectly composed. When Coulter entered the room she noted with interest that he'd brought Professor Iversson with him this time. They sat down opposite her. Coulter opened a slim laptop and set it on the table between them and Iversson gave her a friendly smile.

"Good morning Ms Woods, feeling any better today?"

She eyed them both narrowly "Not really. Especially not since your colleague here appraised me yesterday that I'm a prisoner here with no rights."

Iversson nodded sympathetically "I can understand why you're feeling this way. Believe me, we don't want to cause you any unnecessary distress."

"Then let me go."

"We can't do that, I think you know why." Iversson tilted her head forward "If you would just be a little more co-operative."

"What is it you want from me?"

"Just the truth – about what happened." She spread her hands.

"What does it matter now? I told you everybody died."

Iversson hesitated and looked at Coulter. Obviously this was his department. He cleared his throat. "Ms Woods, we've got good reason to believe that whilst in Antartica you may have stumbled into something … more than you were expecting."

She wrinkled her brow "Excuse me?"

He brought out the briefcase again and opened it, placing the case containing her dah'kte on the table between them once more. Then he clasped his hands and leaned forward "Where did you get this?"

She shook her head "I told you I don't – "

"- Remember? Yeah, you said before. But you didn't act surprised when I showed it to you. Didn't even ask me what it was. You know what it is, don't you?"

Silence again.

"Are you saying that someone put this on you without you knowing?"

She looked at him coolly, but remained silent.

"Bullshit! I think you know _exactly_ what this is _and_ where you got it. I also think you remember where you've been for the last eight months."

There was not even the faintest ghost of a smile on her lips "Do you have any proof that I'm lying?"

He nodded as if she'd scored a point "Not right now. But you know, the more information we find out from Weyland Corp, the more interesting it gets. You might want to get your version of the story in before they do."

"What is it they've told you?"

"Plenty, about what they were expecting to find in Antarctica. Landmark archaeological discovery by the sounds of it. Something unknown in human history. Sounds pretty far out, but in this job you get used to hearing crazy stuff. And of course when you have inside information…"

"Such as?"

"Stuff even Weyland Corp doesn't know – but I'll bet you do," he ran his fingers through his hair "Ms Woods – has it occurred to you, you're not the first person who's been in this situation?"

"Locked up illegally by their own government without access to legal representation? No, I'll bet I'm not!"

"That wasn't what I meant. Ms Woods – what do you know about extra-terrestrials?"

Her face remained still, but it seemed abnormally so to him. Maybe he was imagining it, but to him it seemed that she was making an effort not to show any reaction.

"You know: aliens? You were found next to the remains of what looks a lot like a burned out spacecraft. It's pretty much a wreck – scorched to a cinder – but I'd be willing to take a bet it's not from this planet."

"You say you found me there – I don't remember it. As I told you."

"You were also covered in armour, weapons, technology we've never seen the like of. Fabric made of fibres that don't correspond to anything we've got on record. All of which you claim not to have any knowledge of either."

She shrugged.

"When we brought you here – you were speaking a language no-one here recognises." He opened an audio file on the laptop, pressed play and she heard herself, muttering, whispering feverishly. Broken phrases in the hunter's language. It was mainly threats. Telling someone, everyone, to get off her. Inwardly she heaved a sigh of relief "Let them try and translate that!"

"We've had it checked by our linguistic experts and they can't find anything on record it conforms to. You've no idea of what you're saying here? What it means?"

She raised an eyebrow "Why are you so sure it means anything? It sounds like nonsense."

"Fine, you want to play it that way." He said calmly "How about we turn you over to the Weyland Corporation and let them take your ass to court? I'd be willing to bet that once they realise you're still alive they'll slap a negligence lawsuit on you that'll blow your mind. Wrath of God don't even come close."

"Do it." She said angrily "At least then I'd have access to a lawyer."

Iversson cut in at this point "Ms Woods, we work with a very specialised unit. We are tasked with dealing with all contact of the kind you've experienced. Usually the people we deal with are men. Marines, soldiers, cops, Special Forces. But I've never seen any of them deal with it the way you have. The creatures that gave you these things (she waved a hand to indicate the blades) it's not the first time humanity has had contact with them."

"You know more about it than I do."

"You've been through a horrible ordeal." Iversson smiled and shook her head "I admire you, I really do. I've seen strong men break down and cry. But I'm not sure why you're being so defensive. We want to help you. Who exactly are you trying to protect here?"

"Myself! I still don't know what you want from me. What exactly is it you think I know?"

Coulter sighed and clicked on another file on the laptop. This time when she swivelled the screen around for Lex to see it showed a series of photographs. As she scrolled through them, she was rather nonplussed to see that they seemed to be from a war zone, snapshots of unutterable carnage. As she scrolled through he listed the locations and dates.

"Panama, Nineteen-eighty-nine. Somalia, nineteen-ninety-two, Kosovo, nineteen-ninety-nine…."

"What is this, some sort of pop quiz on American military history?" She said incredulously "What has any of this got to do with me?"

"All of these are occasions where we think extraterrestrials I've mentioned have been sighted. What you're looking at is their handiwork." He said grimly.

She slid the laptop back across with no comment and looked away.

He opened another folder of photographs and swivelled the screen around to her again. These looked to be of a crime scene of some sort. There were shots of bodies, not soldiers in this pictures but commuters, ordinary people – horribly maimed and mutilated. In each one huge, shocking splatters of blood showed up like inkblots.

She clicked through a couple, then pushed the screen away again without looking through all of them "What is this?"

He pressed his lips together in a thin line, before saying "The interior of a Los Angeles subway train after one of the extra-terrestrials we're talking about was done with it. Thirty people dead, minced up like steak tartare. With something very much like this." He picked up the wristblades "What have you got to say about that?"

"Are you suggesting I was involved?" She arched an eyebrow "I must have been –" She glanced at the date noted on the corner of picture "Ten, maybe eleven years old at the time."

"No-one's saying that," Iversson interrupted waving a hand dismissively "We're just trying to get you to understand what the stakes are here. What we're dealing with."

"And what is that?"

"An extremely hostile lifeform. If you know anything you owe it to your country – to the rest of humanity – to tell us what you know." Iversson said seriously.

Lex looked into her eyes for a moment. The pictures had been horrifying but she had to think clearly. They could have come from anywhere and they didn't really show anything conclusive. She couldn't trust these people or the information they were feeding her. They were holding her prisoner. They could tell her anything, show her anything to try and trick her into giving something away.

"I don't know anything about it. Let me go." She said finally.

Iversson seemed about to speak again, but Coulter held up a hand, silencing her "Ok Ms Woods, you don't want to tell us anything. How about we talk about something of more personal interest to you?"

She shrugged, expecting him to say something about Weyland Corps or her environmental foundation, something connected with her old life. Instead he leaned across the table, fingers laced together and said "Are you aware that you're pregnant?"

She was totally broadsided. For a second she thought she must have misheard him. She blinked "What?"

"Did you know that you're pregnant?"

This time she heard, there was no mistake; an atom bomb going off in her brain. "No!" She whispered, her throat trying to close up; all the colour draining from her face like blood from a severed artery "No, I'm not."

"Yes" He said "You are."

In panic she looked to Iversson, hoping she would show some sign, some indicator that this was a lie, a trick. The other woman merely nodded "It came up when we were doing routine tests. I'm sorry if it's a shock - "

She shot to her feet, knocking her chair backwards onto the floor "No! No – you're _lying_!" It was a hysterical shriek.

"So you didn't know?" Coulter persisted.

"I don't believe you!" She said shaking her head rapidly "I don't believe you …. It's not possible! It can't be true, it can't be!"

"Ms Woods please! Sit down, don't get upset." Iversson said, voice strained with concern "Think for a moment. I'm not lying to you. Consider all the sickness, the pains you've been getting, the high temperatures; all of them common symptoms of early pregnancy."

Lex stared at her. Iversson was right, suddenly she knew it. Felt it.

As if from a great distance she heard the woman say "Our tests show you're not very far along. I'd say not more than a few weeks, a month at most. Do you remember how it happened?"

"Please, don't ask me," She whispered "Can't you just let me go?"

Coulter looked at Iversson. Lex could see the triumphant smirk struggling to make its way onto his face. Her skin crawled with loathing "He's enjoying this, the smug prick!" she thought "I've given him exactly what he wants – a reaction…"

"Ms Woods," Coulter said with studied professionalism "Are you saying you didn't know you were pregnant? Do you also mean you don't know when this might have happened or who might be… responsible?"

She fought down the hatred as she looked at him, trying to make herself as unfeeling as stone, not to give him the satisfaction of seeing how disturbed she was. After a second or two her gaze became totally blank once more

"I'd like to lie down please." She said quietly "I don't feel well."

Once she was alone in the sterile, white room she lay down on the bed and curled in on herself, folding her good arm and legs into a ball. Ignoring the pain from her ribs, she hugged her knees. Her thoughts were chasing round almost too fast to make sense, tripping over each other. One moment she was berating herself angrily that it hadn't even occurred to her that this could happen – the next she was eaten up with fear and panic. "I must have been out of my mind to even think about having sex with him!" She thought "Or out of my head on those crazy painkillers, God only knows what was in them!" Underneath it all she felt desperate gnawing sadness, totally illogical, but strong enough to bring tears to her eyes. "I'm on my own." she thought "Hundreds of offspring with lots of different females – that's what he aspires to. Even if he knew he's got no reason to come and help me. That's if the stupid son-of-a-bitch hasn't managed to get himself executed already!"

Then another awful thought struck her. "If they find out who the father is, they'll never let me go! They'll take it away, run tests on it, study it – and I'll never get free. I might as well be government property. I have to keep my mouth shut, they mustn't know." Her blood ran cold with horror as another, even worse realisation occurred to her – the inevitability of it pressing on her mind like a weight "But it's only a matter of time. Even if I don't say a word they'll find out soon enough. I have to escape somehow and I don't have long – or I'll be too big, too incapacitated."

"Now," she thought "The clock starts now. I've got a few months to figure a way out of here before it's out of my hands for good." She wrapped her uninjured arm around her middle even more tightly.

* * *

In a small meeting room down the corridor, Agent Coulter poured himself a cup of coffee. Iversson stood; arms folded angrily "You could have handled that more sensitively!"

He shrugged "So, she didn't know. I figured she wouldn't."

"Ok you were right, but you didn't have to go in like a bull in a china shop!" She turned and walked up the room "Did you see her face? I thought she was going to have a cardiac arrest!"

He looked at her "Nah, I reckon she's a bit more resilient than that. She'd have to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She flung her arms out "This is a delicate situation. I keep telling you, she's still traumatised – "

"Traumatised my ass! She barely batted an eye until I told her she was pregnant. Did you notice? Not a flicker when she saw the pictures, cold hearted bitch!" He swigged his coffee "Have you ever wondered why she's managed to stay on top of things whilst elite marines have started coming apart at the seams?"

Iversson rolled her eyes "We don't know she _hasn't_ got PTSD, it can take years to manifest itself properly."

"Maybe, but I have another theory. Look, can I smoke? I've really had it with this fucking gum." She waved him on and he lit up "I think our girl hasn't been a prisoner at all. I think she's been making friends and influencing people. She was dressed in their gear. She was carrying their weapons. She's got that mark on her face that looks like some kind of tribal tattoo. That doesn't say prisoner to me, it says to me she's gone native."

She threw up her hands "And she was also covered in what we're pretty certain is their blood! So what in the hell are you driving at?"

He dragged hard at his cigarette "Let me put it another way, you say she's only a few weeks along, right?" she nodded "Well if she'd crash landed – let's say just over two weeks ago – that makes the list of possible fathers-to-be pretty short. Either there's something one of the orderlies at the hospital ain't telling us, or one of the kids in the desert decided to have a little fun with her, and I don't find either explanation very convincing. Those little stoners were scared shitless and she was only in the hospital a few hours before we picked her up. Wasn't left alone during that time either, I checked. Since then she's been under round-the-clock surveillance. So unless someone got to her before those kids did – which doesn't check out with their story – then the only other explanation is that it happened before the crash."

She looked at him suspiciously "Just what are you suggesting?" She said slowly.

"I'm suggesting," He tapped ash off his cigarette and looked at her "That we might have more on our hands than we even realised here. I think we can both make a pretty good guess where she's been all this time. Plus, all those fresh scratches she had on her when she arrived? All those _bite marks?_ They didn't come from any human set of teeth did they?"

"Very possibly not but – "

"So let's imagine just for a second that it was one of our hostiles who managed to get lucky with the delightful Ms Woods. Now that would make things very interesting, wouldn't it?"

"Even if I could bring myself to consider that something so horrible might have happened to this poor girl," She crossed her arms "What you're suggesting is highly unlikely, nigh-on impossible biologically speaking. Cross-species breeding rarely results in a successful conception – "

"But it happens. I read somewhere there's this thing that's a cross between a lion and tiger – "

"Oh please! It's not even the same ballpark, at least they share some genetic similarities. They're from the same planet! The same eco-system - we don't even know if they reproduce in the same way we do!"

"With respect Professor – what the hell do you know about our boys genetically or biologically? The blood we found on her clothes is the biggest haul we ever had. Before this we've never found so much as a shred of DNA to run tests on because they always make sure they destroy everything within a two mile blast zone."

" _And into the bargain_ ," Iversson spoke over him, frowning severely "She'd most likely have picked up some very nasty infections before she'd have ever gotten pregnant. We're talking about an alien life-form, God only knows what bacterium or parasites they have living in their bodies that a human immune system couldn't deal with. She'd be lucky if she didn't wind up contracting something that'd make syphilis look like the common cold."

He shrugged "If our guess is right she's been living with them for a while, eating their food, being in close proximity. Who knows, maybe she developed immunity?"

She frowned in exasperation " _And_ even in the extremely unlikely event that you're right, the chances of her being able to carry it to full term alive would be vanishingly small. This isn't 'Tales of the Unexpected'!"

"But if she did – well we'd be sitting on the biggest find of the century! Imagine the possibilities, military, scientific, commercial." He ticked off points on his fingers. "It'd be the proverbial holy grail."

She looked at him sceptically.

He sighed "OK! OK! I admit we're in twilight zone territory now. But you must be able to run some tests right? At least eliminate the possibility? How soon would you be you be able to do that?"

"Certainly – there are prenatal paternity tests we could do that'd allow us to determine the genetic make-up of the baby. I'd imagine we could probably do some amniotic fluid tests. Possibly as early as fourteen weeks. There are other tests that can be done earlier – a CVS test can be done at ten weeks – but both carry a small risk to the foetus. She's young enough and very healthy so probably we'd be ok to start early, but I'd have to get clearance from higher up. Be prepared for disappointment though!"

"Good, you do that." He stubbed out the cigarette violently.

"And don't keep knocking heads with her. As I've said before, I haven't yet seen anything to suggest that she has been anything but a victim here. _Especially_ if your guess proves correct, she's been through hell – it's only natural that she's defensive and hostile, and you're antagonising her. If you don't want her to have a miscarriage through stress or just crack up completely I suggest you back off. I also suggest you start doing some checks of your own, bring those kids in again, visit the hospital…"

"Oh I will, believe me." He held up his hands "And I'll do my best to keep from upsetting her. No point in pushing too hard."

He was smiling as he got up to leave "Not yet anyway" he thought "It's only a matter of time now before the ice-queen gets what's coming to her, one way or another."

* * *

"I told you I can't eat this stuff," Lex pushed the plate away "Can I have some steak if you've got it – please? Everything else makes me feel sick. It must be the hormones."

The guard didn't show any sign of annoyance. Apart form Iversson and Coulter, none of them ever spoke to her in any social way. She strongly suspected they'd been told not to talk to her. He picked up the tray and turned to leave.

"I need it rare," She called after him "Bloody!"

She leaned back against the pillows, one hand resting on her stomach. She wasn't showing that much yet. "I guess you're hungry too, right?" she thought looking down at her midriff "As usual! Well just don't grow too enormous yet. Remember, we still have to get out of here."

After the initial shock, she'd started talking to the baby, mostly silently in her head. It had been eight weeks since she'd found out that she was pregnant – that meant it was just over ten weeks old.

At first she hadn't been able to think of it as anything other than an invader, something that had taken over her body without her knowledge or consent. In the first few weeks she woke up struggling and screaming from visceral nightmares about whatever it was that was inside her. Sometimes it was just a shapeless lump of cells that poured out of her in a sickening mess of blood and tissue. Other nights it tore her apart, a chisel-toothed monstrosity chewing its way out through her abdominal wall right in front of her terrified eyes, tatters of her flesh and innards clinging to its piranha teeth.

At first she'd silently hoped that – against all evidence – they might have been wrong. Then she started hoping that she might have a miscarriage. She even considered trying to bring one on deliberately, thinking maybe if she saved up lots of the white painkillers they brought her that might do the trick. Somehow though, even in her most desperate moments, she just couldn't bring herself to go through with it.

As the weeks wore on, she softened. Whatever she was growing in there, it was part of her. And it was helpless, she could identify with that. She began to even feel affection for this thing that was so wholly reliant on her for protection. Eventually she'd formed a silent pact; the two of them against everyone else.

"We're not going to let them keep us here," She promised late at night after the lights had gone out "I'm going to get us out."

The main reason for her lack of action was that she was only just beginning to get the flexibility back in her broken arm. She decided she'd have a better chance of escaping if she waited until she could use it again. Now, she could move it almost normally. Her ribs still gave her the occasional twinge but she'd been trying to rest as much as possible to speed up the healing process – not difficult given how sleepy the pregnancy seemed to make her most of the time. She knew that waiting would leave only a small window of opportunity but it wasn't as if she had much of a choice.

Until then she'd decided to bide her time. She didn't want them to suspect she was planning anything. She'd been acting the part of model patient; docile, polite, obedient, but still refusing to give any clear answers to Dr Iversson's questions in the regular sessions she had with her.

Her nausea continued unabated and she genuinely found the only thing that didn't turn her stomach was meat, as rare as possible. "Figures!" she thought, with a sigh "I spend months wishing I could have a salad or some pasta or anything other than meat and now it's the only thing I can eat without wanting to spew. It's like goddamn Rosemary's Baby. I blame you… well partly you." She told her stomach.

Suddenly an idea struck her. By the time the guard came back with a plate holding a huge steak, swimming in blood, she was so hungry it was all she could do to keep from just picking it up with her bare hands and tearing into it with her teeth, but she restrained herself.

She picked up the knife and fork made a few ineffectual attempts to cut it. The knife was sharp enough, but she made a show of not being able to use it. She looked up at the guard with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry," she said "but do you have a steak knife? I don't think I can eat it with this, I feel so weak..."

He gave the smallest huff of annoyed breath and went out again.

She felt a small surge of excitement, he'd left the tray!

Moving as slowly as she dared, she slid the knife (which was in truth pretty sharp) off the tray and slipped it under the bedclothes, under her leg. When he came back in she smiled again, and taking the new knife, began to devour the steak hungrily – hardly even stopping to chew. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him looking at her. She hated the way they always watched her eat but right now she was too ravenous to care.

When she'd finished she gave a sigh and smiled again, leaving the steak knife and the fork on the plate together.

He nodded and picked up the tray with the knife and fork – not even looking behind him. As the door closed behind him, she sat quietly, suppressing a grin. He hadn't noticed!

She waited until they turned the lights out and sliding her arm round under the covers, she lodged the knife between the bedsprings and the mattress. She could only hope that they wouldn't find it there.

"OK kid," She thought "That's stage one. Now all we have to do is wait for the right moment."

* * *

She knew something was up the next day, when Iversson came to see her flanked by two guards, one of them pushing a wheelchair.

"Ms Woods?" the professor was her usual brisk self "Will you come with us please?"

"Where are we going?" She was immediately suspicious.

"We just need to do a couple of tests," Iversson smiled reassuringly "Really it's nothing to worry about."

She froze up with panic – she could guess what they were testing her for. Her first instinct was to go for the knife but she fought it down. She didn't think she'd be able to get to it in time and it was too much of a risk. If they knew she had it and she didn't manage to get out, then she'd blown her only advantage.

She looked at Iversson, if only she could forestall them – just delay them for a little while longer "Don't make me go." she pleaded "I can't face it, I feel sick…. Can't you just leave me in peace? Can't you understand what this is doing to me?"

"I'm sorry Ms Woods," Iversson's tone was polite but detached, professional. It was clear she was not going to give way "I'm going to have to insist. It's just a few tests. Please don't be difficult."

Her brain raced with panic but it was no use. There was nothing she could do but go with them. "I can walk." She said weakly.

* * *

Scar raised his head when the door of his cell opened, blinking in the unaccustomed light. He'd been trying to count how many weeks they'd kept him rotting in here and had guessed it must be around four. That didn't bode well. But at least they'd fed him. That was more hopeful. Physically, he was still in pretty good shape. He'd been exercising as much as the limited space would allow, not wanting his muscles to start wasting away. Mentally, perhaps not.

R'Zuul entered the room, along with two guards larger than he was. Scar couldn't help smiling bitterly to himself _"So, you are afraid to be alone in a room with me now, is that it?"_ He thought. He could see why – even four weeks later R'Zuul still bore the marks of their fight. As his eyes adjusted to the light he noticed he'd actually broken one of his tusks. That caused him a momentary flicker of something. R'Zuul had, after all, been his teacher. He'd looked up to him since infanthood. Then he remembered why he'd done it and the feeling vanished, to be replaced by a deathly calm. He'd had a long time to plan his strategy and had realised that he'd have to play this carefully.

" _Get up S'Kia,"_ R'Zuul said _"I hope for your sake that your madness has passed because the council wants to see you. I would suggest that attacking them would be foolish in the extreme."_

He nodded and stood up. He noted with interest that the other three tensed slightly, obviously expecting violence _"I will not offer resistance._ " he said.

As he walked calmly between them towards the council chamber R'Zuul said in an undertone _"You should count yourself lucky to be getting out at all, S'Kia. If I had wanted you dead I could have had your head on a spike by now."_

" _Then why am I still living?"_

" _Because although you are an irrational lunatic, I do not want another member of my squad dead, and I was hoping by now you would have come to your senses."_ R'Zuul sighed and unconsciously rubbed his jaw on the side with the broken tusk _"I did not tell them about your deviancy with the ooman."_ He said, even more quietly so the others wouldn't hear _"I hope you have the sense to keep your mouth shut."_

Scar nodded but said nothing.

As they came into the council chamber, he could see the most senior members of his clan ranged in a ring around the dais at the end of the room studying a display on the screen on the far wall. It seemed to be some sort of military formation. As they heard him come in, he immediately became the object of intense scrutiny. He stood between R'Zuul and the two guards, head lowered in submission, waiting to be addressed.

Nar'jat curled up his mandibles in an expression of displeasure _"S'Kia – it seems you have been upsetting others more than usual. The council has heard from R'Zuul that you had temporarily lost your mind. We trust you are returned to sanity?"_

" _I am thinking much more clearly now."_ He answered neutrally.

Another member of the council, Khurshad, put in _"Can you give any explanation for your persistent outbreaks of disrespectful violence?"_

" _There was a blood feud between myself and D'Kand, another member of the squad. Any violence was mainly directed against him and now he is dead."_

" _Ah yes, D'Kand"_ Nar'jat raised his heavy brows _"Killed by the ooman female you yourself brought onboard, was he not?"_

He looked the head of the council straight in the eye, ignoring R'Zuul's pointed glare _"With respect, she was defending herself,"_ He said _"D'Kand was pursuing a vendetta against her. He has already made one attempt to dishonourably murder her when he attacked her in the gym – "_

" _Challenging someone inside the gymnasium is not dishonourable."_ Khurshad said dismissively.

" _Three against one?"_ Scar noticed there were a few murmurs of surprise _"So, R'Zuul kept that from you as well, why? To protect D'Kand? Or just to keep things simple?"_ he thought.

" _Is this correct?"_ Nar'Jat directed the terse question at R'Zuul.

The squad leader shifted uncomfortably _"It is… but I did not want to bother the council with a minor quarrel. I know there are more important matters – "_

" _And you told us that she had been expelled from the ship. That seems unusual in view of the circumstances."_ Nar'Jat went on, irritably tapping a rhythm on the table with one claw.

" _I think that perhaps I may have been misunderstood."_ R'Zuul was picking his words with care _"I did not expel her. She left of her own free will."_

" _I see,"_ Nar'Jat fixed him with a glare _"I do not appreciate being kept in ignorance Squad Leader."_

R'Zuul nodded curtly, looking annoyed.

Scar remained silent. He had briefly considered asking for their leave to go after Lex and bring her back but quickly dismissed it. He couldn't think of a convincing reason that they would accept. If he asked and they refused they'd be alerted to his intentions and he couldn't have that. He decided it was better to play the role of reformed sinner for now. His species would not have been able to comprehend the saying "Better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission" – the notion of begging for anything was deeply abhorrent to yautja pride – but he knew enough about the thinking of his superiors to guess that it would be better to act first and worry about the consequences later.

" _S'Kia, you are still here."_ Nar'Jat rumbled.

He raised his head _"Am I free to go?"_

" _Yes. Get out of my sight. I do not wish to see you brought before us again or we will not be so lenient with you next time."_

" _Are you sure we should not simply execute him?"_ Khurshad asked after he'd gone _"I do not like him, he is … not balanced."_

" _For a warrior barely out of adolescence who fights like he does we can make allowances."_ Nar'Jat snorted, staring after him _"Soon we may need all the fighters we have."_

R'Zuul decided to speak up _"Is there something I should know?"_ Nar'Jat seemed to remember his presence _"You seem more well informed than any of us R'Zuul, but seeing as you guard information so jealously let me give you some more to keep to yourself: war is coming. We expect it soon – not within days but perhaps within months our enemies will move against us. We will need everyone we have who can fight. S'Kia is perhaps a little mad but that kind of madness can be …useful, if it is directed properly. That is your task. Start doing it."_

* * *

Iversson sat across the table from Coulter – a thin sheaf of papers in front of her and a slightly glazed expression on her face.

"Well sir," She breathed deeply "I never would have believed it, but …." She paused shaking her head.

He waited for a moment for her to go on before prompting impatiently "Yes?"

"These test results…" She shook her head again "I've just never seen anything like it – gross genetic abnormalities. I'm beginning to believe that you might actually be right!"

"Did it match up to any of the blood samples you have from her clothing?"

"No." She shook her head, he looked disappointed "I mean same species – we're pretty certain of that – but I'm ninety nine percent that whoever bled on her, he wasn't the father."

He nodded "You really think there's a chance that she might go full term? That ….it might actually live?"

"It's really too soon to tell but… based on the data we have I can't see why not." Iversson flipped through a few sheets and showed him the ultrasound picture, shaking her head "I would never have believed it. It's growing like crazy in there. It's much bigger than one would normally expect for this stage in development."

"What about our subject? Is she still touchy?"

"She really didn't like having the tests done – she went pale when we came to take her down."

"Say anything at all?"

"No." She sighed. He took out a cigarette and lit it, having long since disregarded the non-smoking rule inside this room.

With a sigh Iversson reached into her pocket and brought out her own pack of Marlboros, Coulter looked at her in surprise "I didn't know you were an addict Professor."

Iversson shrugged "I'm not. I quit ten years ago, but the last few weeks – I need something to steady my nerves."

She took a long drag and blew smoke across the table before continuing "She didn't say anything about the tests, but I could tell she hated it. I guess that's not surprising given her feelings about being here."

"I was thinking I might have another little chat with her – any objections?"

She considered for a moment "Fine, but go easy on her. I mean that. Now more than ever, we can't afford to risk upsetting her and bringing on a miscarriage. I can't even believe I'm saying this but …if it _is_ some sort of alien hybrid and it lives, its scientific value would be beyond price."

"You don't need to tell me!" he scratched his head "Talking of which, it might be a good time to inform our superiors what we may have stumbled onto here. I think we might need to arrange for some back-up, a bit of insurance – just in case."

"Insurance?" She said with a wan smile, tapping ash "Are you worried she might go on some sort of hormonal, pregnant rampage?"

He grinned and shook his head "I got to thinking; we should be prepared for the possibility that hostiles might show up here."

"You think? I mean – I'm all for having extra muscle just in case – but we've never known them to behave that way before. Pursuing someone like that."

"They've never had any reason to before," he said "But I don't want to be caught unawares. Just think what would happen if one of our friends were to come looking for that wrist gadget that we took from her," He raised an eyebrow "Or just looking for his girlfriend!"  
"No harm in being careful." She nodded.

"No time like the present." He got up to leave "I'll put the call in to control. Arrange a video conference ASAP. I'd feel less antsy if they deployed the special unit here tonight."

"It's a date." She crushed out the cigarette and started gathering up her papers.

* * *

Scar didn't waste any time. After he left the council chamber he retrieved his weapons from the brig and then went straight to his quarters without speaking to anyone.

He sorted methodically through Lex's belongings, feeling slightly more optimistic to find her wristcom was not there. He could only hope that she was wearing it. He thought it likely as he hadn't often seen her without it since the day he'd given it to her. Once he'd gone through her things he stripped the place of equipment he might need: weapons, medikit, armour, also taking her remaining clothes and the rest of her belongings. On the way to the shuttle bay he stopped at the armoury to pick up more weapons, explosives and other equipment.

Nobody confronted him although he expected every moment that someone might. He passed a few other males on his way down but they seemed unwilling to challenge him or even look at him. He guessed word must have got round about D'Kand and R'Zuul – which was just fine by him.

He didn't have any trouble until he reached the shuttle bay. He'd planned to give the guards an excuse about being sent out on scouting patrol. He imagined they'd have probably seen many others like him sent out in the last few weeks if the council was feeling twitchy about the possibility of an attack. R'Zuul or someone else must have told them to be on the lookout for him, however. The two guards on duty, Draks and Murenz, stepped forward aggressively to bar his way when they recognised him.

" _Where do you think you are going S'Kia?"_ Murenz asked belligerently _"You are not cleared go off ship. You only just got out of lock-up."_

" _I did not realise you were giving the orders now,"_ Scar said _"R'Zuul has told me otherwise."_

" _I doubt that."_ Drawled Draks, one of the guard captains _"I saw R'Zuul less than a unit ago. He said you might be down here and that he had forbidden you to go off-ship. For any reason!"_

Scar squared his shoulders. There was obviously no point in trying to dissemble any further _"Just get out of my way."_ He said flatly _"I do not want to fight you but if you try and stop me –"_

" _You will do what, you bug-bitten lunatic?"_ Mur'Renz spread his mandibles threateningly _"I heard you went berserk and broke R'Zuul's jaw. Try anything like that with us and I will scoop your scrambled brains out of your skull!"_ So saying he reached for the controls that would sound the alarm.

Scar didn't waste any more time replying. Before Mur'Renz had even finished his sentence he dropped the bag of supplies he'd been carrying, pulled his smart disc and threw it straight at the controls. The disc embedded itself in the console in a shower of sparks and as Mur'Renz jerked his hand away it exploded. Scar was of course expecting it and threw himself flat but both guards were hurled across the room by the blast. Even before the echoes died away he looked up to see both of them lying unmoving amidst the debris. Without waiting to check if they were alive or dead he snatched up his bag of weapons and supplies and scrambled on board the largest shuttle, 'The Umbra'.

He knew he wouldn't have long before someone was alerted to what he was doing either by the two guards – if they had not been killed – or by the cameras monitoring the shuttle bay. He toggled the button that sealed the bay off, opened the outer airlock and flipped the controls. The engines burst into life and the shuttle shot out of the hatch. He ramped the turbines up to full power, wanting to get as far away as possible before anyone noticed he was missing. Once the Umbra was clear of the bay, and the Shadow had become a rapidly vanishing dot in the distance he leaned back in the pilot seat and thought for a moment, clicking softly to himself.

The alarm would sound sooner or later. He supposed they might pursue him but perhaps they wouldn't bother. He hoped they had more important things to deal with right now. Hadn't he overheard Nar'Jat saying something about a war coming?

He'd worked it all out in the cell, now all he had to do was lock onto the signal from Lex's wrist-com. Once he was near enough to her planet he would put himself in orbit and start scanning. With the ships more powerful computer it should be easy enough to find her.

He suspected his behaviour made him a bit of a freak. It wasn't just his deviant attraction to the human female. Even amongst their own kind his species did not generally form significant emotional bonds with members of the opposite gender. This was mainly because males and females lived almost totally separate existences, usually meeting only to breed. Sexual relationships tended to be both brutal and fleeting in nature – notable more for their quantity than their quality – and usually ended once intercourse was finished.

But Scar had spent such a lot of time with the human female he was interested (as he would have put it) in what happened to her. If he'd had to explain exactly why he wanted to bring her back he probably couldn't have done so. He just didn't have the right vocabulary.

Part of it was defiance. It infuriated him that R'Zuul, or anyone else, should presume to try and stop him doing anything he wanted to do. Being around the human he'd unconsciously absorbed some of her determinedly individualistic mindset and to some extent his personal credo had always been that he knew best how to direct his own affairs. Let others slavishly follow codes of behaviour if they were too stupid to do otherwise! The realisation was dawning on him that the rules only applied to him if he wanted them to and he was still young enough to take a fierce joy in rebellion.

There was also a possessive, jealous instinct at work. Like many societies where males did not necessarily consider themselves bound to one partner, males of his species nevertheless considered females they'd coupled with as their property. They tended to be possessive and got stroppy if they discovered competition had been sniffing around.

And of course, he very much wanted to couple with her again. He had thought that once he'd had her, he might be able to stop thinking about her all the time but in fact it seemed to have had the opposite effect. Now she obsessed him even more. Just the memory of her was enough to make him shudder with barely suppressed lust.

It was just as well he wasn't really much given to introspection or self-doubt. In the weeks of frustrating inaction in his cell he'd simply dismissed the idea that she might be dead. The thought that she might not want to leave her planet or want to see him didn't trouble him very much either. He was genetically superior to other males; certainly he was superior to human males, why should she not welcome his attention? She'd been keen enough before! Even if she was reluctant to leave, he'd just have to persuade her. If she was going to be stubborn, well… he'd deal with that when it came. The main thing in his mind right now was the chase.

* * *

Lex sipped a glass of water and massaged her temples with her fingers. The test the day before had been horrible. The large needle inserted into her abdomen was just the icing on the cake. She'd forced herself to bear it as patiently as she could. Now, though, they wanted to talk to her again and she felt ready to scream. She was feeling queasy and tired. Her sleep had been disturbed by nightmares about the baby again. This time her dream baby had been perfectly normal and human, but they'd still taken it away. She'd tried to stop them, fighting tooth and nail, but wasn't able to actually get anywhere. In that strange way that sometimes happens in dreams she'd been unable to run, her fists passing through her shadowy adversaries like they were made of mist. She'd woken up crying uncontrollably.

She was already on edge when Coulter and Iversson entered the room. She thought she probably knew what the questions were going to be about and was steeling herself, trying to fight down the bile that kept threatening to rise up in her throat.

As they sat down, she noticed that Iversson too looked tired. "Probably up all night, picking through my baby's DNA" She thought angrily "You both make me sick, treating another human being like a lab rat." But she bit down on her rage. She had to try and force herself to at least be civil to them. If they thought she'd accepted her situation they'd be less likely to suspect her real intentions. Her arm was feeling much better – it would have to be soon.

It was Iversson who began their dialogue today. "Ms Woods," she rubbed her eyes "We just thought we'd go over things again."

Lex folded her hands and tried to look attentive.

"What is the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

Lex let out a faint sigh of annoyance "Look I don't know how many times you want to keep on going in circles like this. I told you – after Antarctica it's just a blur."

Coulter put in "As I recall Ms Woods, you didn't even really make it clear last time what happened in Antarctica."

"I've said all I have to say about it. We were unprepared."

"What about after that, you still have no memory of how you came to be dressed the way you were? Why you were carrying those weapons?" Iversson asked.

She shook her head "None."

"What about this?" Coulter suddenly reached out a finger as if to touch the mark on her cheek. It was such an unexpected movement that she jerked quickly backwards in shock, scraping her chair along the floor and moving out of his reach. Coulter always put her on her guard more than anyone else here. He acted friendly in a detached sort of way most of the time but she'd seen the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't watching – he looked hungry. She eyed him warily from a distance, poised as if to run or to fight "Don't touch me."

"Take it easy!" He held his hands in the air "I just want to know where you got it. What is it – a burn?"

She put a hand up to her face tracing the now familiar lines of the blood mark, she shook her head "I don't know – I can't remember."

He looked doubtful "Must've hurt, the doctors say it looks like an acid burn – that'd sting like hellfire. And you say you don't remember who did it or when?"

She shook her head "Just don't touch me again please."

"And still no memory of how you came to be pregnant? That's a pretty crucial detail to forget – although I'm sure you ain't the first girl who forgot!"

"No," She said, her voice dripping with distaste at his crude joke "And I don't understand why it's important to you. It's got nothing to do with all this… stuff you keep talking about."

"Well seeing as you either can't or won't tell us anything more – we've been doing a bit of research of our own. Professor Iversson?"

The Professor leaned forward, bags under her eyes today contrasting with her usual manicured appearance "As you know, yesterday morning we took some samples from you. Since you are unable to tell us the identity of your baby's father we thought we'd better do some tests to rule out certain things."

"Such as?"

"Look, Ms Woods, I want you to be calm. What I have to tell you may come as a shock." She took a deep breath "We suspected there were some abnormalities with your pregnancy."

Lex didn't react, just sat back and looked at them both with loathing, waiting for what she knew was coming next.

"When we looked at your samples it became apparent that the father of your child – that is, it's too early to say much at this stage but – we're pretty certain he isn't human." Iversson trailed off, unsure what to say next.

Lex shut her eyes wearily, too tired to feign surprise. What difference did it make now anyway what she said?

Iversson and Coulter watched her carefully, waiting for the emotional outburst – tears, rage, disbelief, denial. Anything but this stoney-faced silence.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Iversson studied her face for confirmation.

"I heard. What do you want me to say?"

"You don't seem very surprised." Coulter leaned back in his chair and started fiddling with his packet of gum that was balanced on his knee "Are you telling us you already knew?"

"No, I'm not telling you anything." She leaned back and folded her arms "I don't have anything further to say to either of you, so you might as well take me back to my cell."

Iversson looked as if she was about to speak but Coulter held up a hand "If that's what she wants Professor, you've probably wasted enough time here."

Iversson sighed but reluctantly she got up and went to the door.

Lex had expected Coulter to call the guards to take her back to the cell but instead he got up and began to wander the room thoughtfully, tapping his fingers together as if considering a difficult problem. What she really wanted was to be alone so she could think uninterrupted and she didn't want to speak again. She watched him warily, wishing he would just take her back.

As soon as the door had clicked closed behind Iversson he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked her to her feet. Twisting her arm in a tight grip, he pulled her round towards him, face only a breath away from her own. Though her expression remained blank and unemotional, she instinctively tried to pull away from him but her back came up against the wall. He gripped her chin and pulled her face round too look at him.

"Listen sweetheart, I don't know what game you're playing," he said almost pleasantly "But you should be down on your knees giving thanks to the ugly son-of-a-bitch who got you knocked up because if you weren't …it'd be a whole different ball game right now. And you oughta know, top half of the hourglass is running out for you."

She remained silent, staring back at him impassively. Something told her it would be a bad idea to attack him without a weapon, tempting as it was, but she wasn't scared. Part of her almost wanted to laugh in his face for thinking he could frighten her.

"You think you're smart, think you're a real tough cookie." He continued, rubbing a thumb over the mark on her cheek "But let me tell you a little secret:" His voice lowered and he leaned in close to whisper in her ear "Everyone cracks in the end - _everyone_. Once we get this thing out of you, I'll find a way to break you. You'll be begging to tell me everything. There are things I can do to you that'll make Guantanamo look like a holiday camp…"

"I told you never to touch me." She said, glacially cold.

"You think your ice queen act works on me?" He pushed her even harder against the wall and tightened his grip on her jaw "I know all about you, whether you tell me or not. I _know._ "

Then he released her and went to call the guards. She watched his retreating back – simmering with hatred.

* * *

Scar touched down the shuttle in a canyon in a piece of Earth desert near to where the signal was located. He felt a huge relief at finally being able to land. It had taken him a week to reach the human's planet and after that three frustrating weeks of scanning from orbit to locate a signal from the wrist-com, having to be methodical, when all the time he was going stir crazy. What he wanted to do after all that time locked up was tear out of there. Maybe six months ago he would have done – but he knew that wouldn't get him what he wanted. He had to be patient. The problem was that, even for the ship's scanners, the signal was quite faint.

It was getting stronger now though. He knew it must be near here – he guessed within about a twenty - thirty click radius at most. From what he'd been able to tell from the ships instruments, the wristcom was located in some sort of building complex out in the middle of the desert. Some humans around, but not that many.

He'd landed in a small gully a safe distance away from the structure, so there was less chance of the shuttle being found. This area was pretty empty of humans anyway, no settlements that he could see. The craft's camouflage technology would keep it concealed from any unfriendly eyes. He realised he didn't know what kind of place Lex would be in, whether it would be easy to get into, so he armed himself with the full compliment of weapons. It was late afternoon, the sun low in the sky but still blazing hot. Before leaving the shuttle he activated his own cloaking device.

He stood for moment listening to the noise of the evening, the hissing and chattering of insects all around him and breathed in deeply, clicking his jaws together. He could feel himself gearing up, focussing on the pursuit ahead as he always did before the hunt. There was something about this scenario which pleased him, excited him even. It made perfect sense. She was his female and now he was going to hunt her down and bring her back. It was going to be _fun_.

* * *

Lex sat with her back to the wall gazing into space, elbows resting on her knees. Tonight. It had to be tonight. She couldn't stand any more of this. She was painfully conscious that her window of opportunity was going to be very brief, would be closing soon. She'd planned it all out in her head. She had the knife – now it was time to use it. She knew it wasn't going to be enough just to threaten. If she was going to get out she had to be prepared to go all the way.

To actually kill another human being – to murder them in cold blood. She thought back to the other times she'd killed; back in the hive, in the desert cavern. And the worst time, down in that dark, metal corridor.

She'd done it once out of mercy, most of the other times had all been instinctive, born out of terror – her body had acted automatically without the intervention of her brain.

"Not the last time," A treacherous little voice whispered inside her brain "Last time, you could have run away, but you chose to kill him. You twisted the knife. You even stayed to make sure he was dead."

"He'd have come after me again," She argued back at herself "It was self-defence. I would have been stupid to let him live."

The voice sniggered nastily "You sound like one of them – in fact you sound just like _him_."

"But I've got no choice." She thought desperately "If I ever want to see daylight again, I don't have any choice."

She searched inside herself. The worst thing about killing D'Kand hadn't been fear, it hadn't been guilt; it had been the lack of any feeling. She knew that, alien though he might be, he was another sentient being. Like her, he'd had thoughts and feelings and a life to lose, and she didn't care. That he'd been about to kill her didn't make that much difference. She could possibly have saved herself but let him live. She'd chosen not to. She'd pushed at the door expecting resistance and it had swung open effortlessly. What was to stop her crossing the line again?

In the background to all these thoughts, running underneath them, was a phrase. A mantra that kept on repeating inside her head, like the rhythm section under a harmony

"Are you on my side or are you not? Are you on my side or aren't you?" Over and over.

"He was right." She thought "Damn him to hell for that and for everything else. He was right! I wish that stupid son-of-a-bitch were here, so I could tell him how much I hate him for doing this to me!"

She sat on the bed gazing at her reflection in the mirror, knowing unseen eyes were watching on the other side of the glass. Her face was totally serene, like a statue carved out of marble.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun was just beginning to set as Scar neared the collection of buildings, situated at the bottom of a wide dustbowl. He stopped in the goldenlit shadow of a small outcrop of rock. It was still too bright to approach them directly, even in this failing sunlight. The heat haze and the swirling dust clouds would give him some cover, but he'd still be too visible for proper concealment. _"No point rushing in,"_ He thought _"Better to wait until after dark."_

He flicked his masks vision to EMI frequency for a moment and did a quick scan of the structure. The main part was a large three-sided formation like an angular horseshoe, surrounded by sprawling collection of smaller buildings and ringed by a high perimeter fence – obviously electrified. It was bigger than it looked on the surface as some of it seemed to extend for quite a way underground. His jaws twitched with irritation. He had hoped it would all be on the surface, much easier for a smash and grab, but the signal was in one of the underground chambers. He could see it pulsing strongly now. He just had to hope she was actually still wearing the device or he'd have to waste time searching the rest of the complex. Things could get messy. He didn't even want to consider what he'd do if she wasn't here at all.

He shrugged – nothing would be achieved by complaining. He settled down to wait for the sunset.

He watched a few vehicles come and go through what he guessed to be the main gate. He considered going in that way briefly but dismissed the idea; too many humans around that entrance. He'd most likely be spotted and he didn't want to draw attention to himself before he knew she was actually here.

He flipped back to thermal imaging. There seemed to be quite a few patrols walking the perimeter. There were more humans here than he'd first thought.

It began to dawn on him that that this complex was too heavily guarded for an ordinary settlement. It might be more complicated than he'd first thought. He wondered what Lex was even doing here. The suspicion was also beginning to form that perhaps she wasn't here of her own free will. _"She told me she was what? A climber of mountains? Not a warrior like most of these humans."_ His gaze scanned the horizon; the mountains seemed to be some distance from here.

Stealth would be essential and even with his camouflage… it might still be tricky to avoid detection. Humans couldn't see so well in the dark, but inside they'd have artificial lighting. What he needed was a diversion.

He flipped back to EMI again, and eventually found what he was looking for – the complex's power source. Unhappily for him, it was located in the main body of the building but not underground and it was near an outer wall, which was something at least. Far away from where the wrist-com signal was too, which was all to the good for what he was planning.

The night was drawing in, hot and sticky. He raised his head. The clear blue skies were filling up with dirty looking clouds. The wind was still blowing the dust into the air in little flurries that stung his skin. Outdoor lights starting blinking on, illuminating the complex as the sunlight died away. When it was fully dark he stood up and began walking down the slope, away from the main entrance looking for the furthest point in the perimeter fence and stopped just outside the circle of light. The fence was not a problem – it was only about eight foot. He could clear that easily, he thought. At least the lights were further apart here than they were near the entrance.

About thirty feet away he could see the red heat signature of a figure standing sentry on a tower along the line of the fence. Slightly further away he could see another. He slunk along the fence. When he was about equidistant between the two, he made his jump, arching his body to clear the wire without touching it. He landed as lightly as he could but the impact caused a slight crunch of gravel underfoot and raised a small cloud of dust. The red outlines of the sentries moved and twin beams of light swung in his direction – searching for the source of the noise. He slipped back silently into the darkness.

The noise must have alerted someone because he could now see two humans coming around the corner on his side of the fence, walking next to them was a smaller creature, presumably some kind of hunting animal with a heightened sense of smell. He knew some yautja used lesser beasts in this way, but his clan always considered them unnecessary. Their own sense of smell was good enough to need no augmentation. He moved back further into the shadows, hoping they would just pass him by. He knew he could easily kill them but he didn't want the whole place in uproar, not yet.

The smaller creature raced towards him making a noise, but as it approached it became suddenly uncertain. It stopped, dancing from foot to foot and whining. Its nostrils flared at the unfamiliar scent and it was reluctant to come nearer. He bent his head down to its level and gave a low growl, loud enough for the creature to hear but not the humans. When it didn't move he lashed out with one arm and belted it across the muzzle. The beast gave a yelp and turned tail, running back towards its masters where it stood, cowering and whimpering.

By the time they'd come over to see what had frightened it, he was gone.

* * *

Agent Coulter stood in one of the briefing rooms, surveying the special unit

"Agent Coulter?" a broad-shouldered man with short black hair who was apparently the leader stepped forward. He wasn't very tall but he was built like a tank – all muscle. He held out a hand "Major Stan Ostrowski, let me introduce you to my unit." He waved a hand to indicate a grinning giant who sported a tattoo of a scorpion on the back of his shaved head "This is Lieutenant Cesar Sanchez."

Ostrowski waved a hand across the room, "The rest of these jerks are Haines, Johnson, Rheinhardt, Verney, Carravino, Halloran and this ugly fuck here, is Galton."

"They look like mercs," Thought Coulter "Or pirates." Not surprising really, these nine men were an oddly assorted bunch – drawn from various walks of life. Some of them _were_ ex-mercs, or former marines, or Navy Seals, FBI or gangland cops. Now though, they comprised a small, but highly specialised combat unit – probably one of the most deadly at the disposal of the US government.

Despite the fact that they were all dressed in Kevlar vests and black fatigues from the neck down, there was quite a lot of scar tissue visible on most of them. They all had in common a certain grimness of expression that came with being far too accustomed to killing people. He'd seen it enough times – too many times of those times when he glanced in a mirror.

In fact what they mostly had in common was a record of active service in some of the most dangerous fields of combat in the world. In all cases, he knew, they'd had actual experience of contact with the species of hostile alien he'd spent the last ten years pursuing – either before they joined the military or as part of this unit. He'd been instrumental in recruiting some of them.

"Major Ostrowski, I trust your men have all had a chance to read the brief we provided."

"Yessir, we've all read it." Ostrowski nodded.

Coulter nodded "Then I'll keep this as short as possible – I know you all know what we're dealing with. I only want to go over the main points. In the past the main objective of your team has been to suppress and if possible try to capture our alien invaders. That is not the case here. We have in custody at this base a particular subject, Ms Alexa Woods. You've all familiarised yourselves with her profile and photographs?"

A few nods, one or two smirks "Pirates!" he thought.

"We also have certain artefacts that were taken from Ms Woods at the time she came into our custody. I requested your presence here because Woods and these items are of untold value to our government. Both hold information which might give us the key to actually getting the edge on these bastards. I want you to protect them at all costs. As you will know, we do have quite a large on-base staff, but as you will also know, that isn't going to make much difference if we are attacked by hostiles."

The Major cleared his throat "Are you saying, Sir, that you figure there's a very good chance that those ugly bastards might show up here?"

"I'm saying I'm not willing to take a chance on it." Agent Coulter leaned on the table and folded his arms "It's a possibility. Now if that does happen, your orders are to prevent them gaining access to the lab where the artefacts are or, most importantly, to the prisoner. Her protection is your primary objective! Numero uno. Do you understand? If you happen to incapacitate a hostile enough to trap it, then that's a bonus – but it's entirely secondary."

"Agent Coulter" Ostrowski said "My men and I have spent years tracking and fighting your ' _hostiles'_ everywhere from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. You'll be glad to know we came prepared." He lifted up the huge pulse rifle that he was carrying on a strap round his neck "We bought some heavy-duty firepower: armour piercing rounds, tasers and incendiaries. And I know you say you're not interested in capture but these babies (he patted the gun) also fire tranq darts with enough juice in 'em to floor a goddamn elephant."

Coulter grunted "What do you have in the line of detection?"

"Thermal imaging" Ostrowski grinned, tapping the goggles on top of his head "Play the sneaky fucks at their own game, the tech boys say it might give us an edge."

"OK," Coulter nodded "Sounds impressive. One thing I'm gonna make totally clear now: I don't want the prisoner harmed. _In any circumstances._ I'm repeating myself but I want to make sure you all understand: maintaining custody of her is your number one objective. Is that clear?"

"Crystal. Sir."

"Good." He nodded "Now if you'd like to come with me gentlemen, I'll show you the control room."

* * *

Twenty-five year old Private Carey Armstrong hated guard duty at night, when the long, boring hours seemed to drag on forever. "Like most things out in this dusty shithole." he thought. The only thing worse than being on guard duty was being on guard duty with Private Cassidy – which he currently was. Cassidy, in his opinion, was a weapons-grade asshole. He'd rather have been on his own than have to listen to the man's stupid jokes and unconvincing sexual anecdotes all night.

At first Armstrong had been excited being stationed here, one of the most secret government facilities on domestic soil. He knew only the top personnel were picked to man this facility and he'd seen it as his gateway to a promotion and envisioned a glittering career opening up for him. Now he was beginning to wonder if it was worth all these mind-numbing hours.

His radio crackled into life: "Armstrong, Cassidy – are you down on corridor ten?"

He sighed "Yessir. On my way."

"There's a fault with the cameras in the generator room, they've gone dead. Go check it out."

He looked at Cassidy, who shrugged and began to make his way down the corridor. He swiped his ID on the panel by the door. The glowing electric eye blinked from red to green, the thick metal door swung open and he stepped inside. As the door swung shut and locked behind him he heard the whirring of the generator and the cold air of the room rose up to meet him.

He looked up at the rooms two security cameras, both were a mess of fizzing wires. Immediately his hindbrain was prompting him that something was seriously wrong.

"Hey, Armstrong. Come and look at this shit." Cassidy beckoned him over and pointed up at one off the large vents in the ceiling. One of the metal vent covers had fallen off and was lying on the floor. He walked over and crouched down to inspect it.

As he got closer he saw that it was damaged and bent out of shape, as if by an impact from inside the vent. Behind him he heard a metallic scrape and a fleshy noise, followed by a gasp from Cassidy.

Goosebumps standing up on the back of his neck he spun round just in time to see the man staring in horror at three huge barbed spikes that protruded from his ruined chest. His skin looked like paper and his lips moved soundlessly. Behind him the wall looked strange, as if seen through a wavering heat haze. As he stared stupidly, some unseen force lifted the other man up bodily. He blinked, unable to make sense of what his eyes were telling him. When it moved he could make out the shape of a figure, but it was transparent, the wall behind it seeming refracted as if seen through a rippling column of water. With terrifying ease, it ripped the spikes out of Cassidy in a shower of gore, tossing his body across the room like a toy.

He stumbled backwards and turned to run. As he moved he fumbled desperately for his radio – but his fingers didn't seem to want to obey him. He bolted for the door, but not fast enough. He felt something strike his head from behind. His vision winked out into nothingness.

* * *

Scar indifferently let the unconscious body drop. There were a lot of males here. Every human he'd encountered smelled male and he didn't like that at all. He shook his head in irritation. He didn't need pointless jealousy muddying his thinking like this. _"Anyway,"_ he told himself _"I need not worry about competition from humans. I could break them in half without even sweating!"_

A brief inspection of the door reassured him it was locked. He imagined someone else would soon be along to check what had happened to these guards. Hopefully that gave him long enough to do what he needed to.

There were two power sources in this room. A mains connection and a back-up generator. The first power source he should be able to put out of commission with a few rounds of plasma fire. The noise and the resulting blackout would bring a lot of humans running. With any luck.

He pulled out his cache of incendiary grenades and with the other hand a coil of wire and a couple of two pronged throwing blades and looked at the door thoughtfully.

* * *

Lex lay in the darkness. Under the sheet she gripped the knife. Holding the fabric of her sweatpants out of the way, she drew the blade slowly down the inside of her thigh, making a shallow cut. Not deep enough to be serious but deep enough to bleed. She winced slightly as she pressed on the flesh to make the blood flow a little more. Quickly she spread as much of it onto her hands as she could. Only when they were slick with redness did she press the alarm button.

Immediately a couple of guards rushed into the room to find her curled up in a ball. Both looked in horror as, between her legs, a dark crimson stain spread slowly through the white cotton sheets. The face she turned to them was a rictus of agony.

"Get… Iversson" she whispered at them through clenched teeth and held out a gorey hand in supplication. They looked at each other for a moment in panic before one of them left the room at a dead run.

The remaining guard moved towards her with the caution of one who knows that one mistake would mean his head on a platter "Ms Woods, what's –"

"Don't touch me!" she curled herself up even tighter and hissed "Oh Jesus!"

He made towards her again but at that moment Iversson skidded through the door. "Ms Woods, Alexa, what's wrong?" her voice taut with worry.

"It… hurts – I think… something's.. wrong," she whispered "Help me… I have to tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Iversson came to the bedside, Lex could see the anxiety in her eyes.

She shook her head against the pillow, as if the pain was too much to bear, and beckoned feebly. Then, as the other woman leaned forward, Lex's fist shot out and smacked into Iversson's jaw. As the Professor's head jerked to one side, Lex grabbed her. Spinning her round, she pressed the blade against the woman's jugular and twisted her arm violently up behind her back until she heard a crack. Iversson screamed. It all happened so quickly that there was a long moment of stunned silence as the three other people in the room tried to get a handle on how the situation had changed.

Lex looked at the aghast faces of the two guards, goggling at her like fish. "Open that door and let me out of here," she said in a low voice "Or I _will_ slit her throat."

"Alexa wait!" Iversson's face had turned bone white, her voice shook and her breathing was unsteady "You don't want to do this, just think about – "

"I've had plenty of time," Lex said by her ear "And I've done enough thinking."

She put a little pressure on the blade, just enough to draw a thin red trickle and then jerked her arm up a little farther, causing the woman to wail in agony.

"Open the door – right now!" She yelled at them.

They rushed to obey. "Now get down! Right down on the floor – over there, faces to the wall!" she said.

She shoved Iversson forward out into the room beyond, kicking the door shut behind her. It slammed shut and locked automatically.

She opened the door to the corridor and shoved the professor out into the hallway in front of her, still holding the knife to her throat. The two guards stood outside turned in surprise – hands going for their nightsticks.

"Get back meatheads," she spat "Or she dies."

"Do as she says!" Iversson's voice was shrill with shock, tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes "Back off for God's sake!"

They put their hands in the air, watching her intently.

"Give me your passes and get in there" she jerked her head towards the observation room they'd just come from. Moving slowly they obeyed and she slammed the door shut on them, the automatic lock clicked.

"Now Professor" Lex hissed in Iversson's ear "Those things you took from me – where are they?"

"The lab," Iversson gulped, Lex could feel her throat moving under the blade "On the lower floor."

"They'll be monitoring this in the control room, you know," the older woman gasped as they began to move down the corridor "And there are guards everywhere."

"Good job we've got each other then, isn't it?" Lex smiled humourlessly.

* * *

As Agent Coulter and the Unit made their way towards the control room, the fluorescent strip lighting flickered and went out. All around them silence fell as the drone of the air-conditioning died too.

They all stopped, some of the men colliding with the backs of the others, unable to see even a few feet in front of them in the windowless corridor. They stood for a moment in the pitch dark.

"What the fuck!" He heard Ostrowski cursing next to him in the blackness. Then the lights blinked slowly back into life. Coulter was already reaching for his radio "Control!" he barked "What the hell happened? Some kind of power surge?"

"Negative, sir" came the crackly reply "Something's happened in the generator room. The cameras are dead. I sent some people down there to check it out – from the corridor camera feeds it sounds like there were shots fired in there."

"Get some patrols down there right now." He looked at Ostrowski and both could see what the other was thinking.

"Tell them not to go in until someone from the special unit gets down there." Coulter turned to Ostrowski. "You and five of your men get down to the generator room." He nodded at the two staff guards who were with them "You show them. Lieutenant Sanchez, you and the rest of your men get to the infirmary. Guard the prisoner. We have to make sure nothing gets in there."

"Yessir!" they both nodded.

As Ostrowski and the other men turned to leave, Coulter's radio crackled again "Agent Coulter? We've got a situation down at the infirmary."

"Roger that, what's going on?"

"Woods has escaped, and she's holding Professor Iversson hostage."

"Jesus-God-Almighty!" He burst out, unable to believe his ears "Where are they now?"

"Cams got them moving down corridor five, towards the lab, sir."

Behind him he heard Sanchez snort "Feisty little thing ain't she?"

"Well send some fucking people down there now!" he yelled.

"I've already alerted the nearest patrols, Sir."

He shook his head again "I'm on my way." He'd already started to run down towards the lab, with Sanchez right behind him.

* * *

Lex dragged the trembling woman down the hall, looking around all the time to see if any more guards were going to appear. Dr Iversson directed her to an elevator. Using the Professor's pass, they got in and the woman pressed the button for the right floor. The lab wasn't far away from the lift – just along the corridor. When they reached the door Lex pulled the Professor up sharp next to the identification panel.

"Unlock it." she hissed "I know _you_ have a pass."

"I can't," the woman whimpered "It's fingerprint ID and you broke my arm!"

Lex yanked her injured arm round by the wrist causing Iversson to scream and start sobbing again. Ignoring her, she pressed the woman's palm to the ID plate. "Now put the code in." she said.

When Iversson just slumped against her, shaking like a leaf, she pressed the knife harder into her throat "Do it. I mean it when I say I'll kill you. It won't be the first time I've killed someone."

The flatness of her tone removed all doubt in the Professor's mind that she was serious. Still whimpering and shaking, Iversson punched in a code and the door clicked.

Lex bundled her into the room and pushed it shut behind them. Spinning Iversson round she brandished the knife in front of her face "Where are they?" she demanded. Terrified eyes flickered to one side and Lex followed their gaze to a large safe on the wall. She dragged the woman over to the door and held her at knife point while she fumblingly punched in another code and swiped an access keycard. The heavy door swung open.

Throwing the woman to the floor she used a strip of Iverssons lab coat to tie her hands together and left her lying there.

Her spear and her wrist blades were sat inside the safe, in separate glass casings. Sticking the knife into the waistband of the trousers she strode over and, picking up a metal stool, brought it smashing down onto the case. Glittering diamond shards of glass cascaded over the floor.

As she picked up the blades and the spear, something else caught her eye – her wrist-com. It was lying in a little glass compartment set into the wall. She didn't really know how to use it very well, but it was hers. She was damned if she was going to leave it behind for them to tinker around with. Carefully avoiding the broken shards on the floor, she used the butt of the combistick to smash the glass and snatched it up, brushing the sparkling fragments off and snapping it closed around her wrist.

As she stood over the Professor, buckling on the harness that held the spear in place on her back, the woman looked up at her beseechingly, her blue eyes tearing up with pain "Please Alexa, Lex…" She said, her voice quavered "Don't hurt me. This isn't you – I've read your profile. You're a good person, an intelligent woman! You co-founded an environmental charity for God's sake!"

"There's no point in appealing to the person I was before." Lex glanced down, grim-faced "You, the Weyland Corporation, the hunters, you all had a part in killing her and now she's gone. You know nothing about who I am now. You can read my files if you like. You can test me and scan me ..."

Here voice tailed off as she finished strapping on the wristblades and tested the palm catch. Straight away, the blades shot out. She raised her arms, testing the weight of them. They felt right, like natural extensions of her limbs. She took a deep breath. All the time she'd been in here she'd felt helpless, frustrated – now she felt calm, powerful and in control.

She looked down at herself, wishing she could get hold of some boots. Apart from the weapons all she was wearing were the bloodstained sweats, white vest, the underwear they'd given her. Her feet were bare, that wasn't good. She looked at Iversson's footwear – high-heeled pumps. Not toweringly high but not very practical either.

She debated for a moment over whether to put on the mask, but decided against it. She was still going to have to get out of here and that might mean talking to people, negotiating, so much easier when you could look them in the eye. Besides who was to say they wouldn't shoot her on sight if she emerged wearing that – assuming she was one of their 'hostiles'. She used the mask's hanging clip to attach it to her waistband. It was still hers.

All the time Iversson was talking, pleading with her "Alexa, listen to me: You're confused – angry, you're not thinking straight! I know you've been through hell, I know you don't trust me! But I swear all I want to do is help you and your baby!"

"Help us?!" She almost smiled, as if it was funny. She knelt down next to Iversson and lifted the stricken woman's chin with the flat of a blade "I begged you to help me – remember? I asked you to let me go. You have no idea Professor. No idea of what I've been through. I was on that ship for months – nearly a year! Can you even imagine that? Being trapped with those bloodthirsty, brutal fuckheads and I was desperate to get back here - "

The Professor snatched at her words like a lifeline "Then help us! Tell us what you know about them! Help us to find a way to fight them! That's all we want to do!"

Lex laughed. "I'll see you all in hell first!"

"Lex you've got to think of the baby," Iversson tried a different tack, talking fast, her voice shaking "I know you think you're doing what's best but even if you do manage to carry it to term and it lives, it'll almost certainly have chronic illnesses, deformities, _serious_ things wrong with it!"

"Even if I believed you," Lex's eyes narrowed "I could still give it better than a life in a cage."

"If you leave here it'll never survive without extensive medical care," Iversson said desperately "Lex, it was a million to one shot conception ever happened in the first place; it shouldn't be possible! He or she is going to need all the best care money can buy and who's going to give that to you except me? Let me help you! _You don't have to watch your baby die!"_

"How generous," Lex growled "If I'm a good girl and go back to my cell you won't let my baby die. What makes you think I'd _ever_ trust you?"

Her eyes lit on a packet of cigarettes that lay on the counter. Resting on top of them was a lighter. Casting around amongst the various bottles of chemicals that lined the counters, Lex seized a bottle of ethanol and wrenched the lid off. She began sloshing it around violently, pouring it all over every surface. The penetrating stink of it filled the room.

The Professor let out a low moan "Please, stop! Please! Do you want us both to burn to death!?"

Lex ignored her, when she'd emptied it she found another and splashed that around too. As she did, she said, almost conversationally "You want information? I'll tell you something: as bad as that ship was, this is worse! They may have seen me as a lower species but they didn't keep me locked up like an animal. They didn't stick needles in me like some fucking lab rat – but my own kind didn't hesitate!"

The Professor stared at her, mouth working noiselessly – finally she managed to stammer "Lex… they … they attacked you, don't you remember? I know you don't want to think about it! That you've suppressed it but – "

"What are you talking about?" Lex spun round, the lighter ready in her hand.

" _Think_ about what you're doing – you don't want to burn us both alive! Try to remember. It was one of them that raped you, not us!"

Lex put her head on one side with an odd little smile "Wrong on both counts." She said and flicked the lighter, igniting the blue flames raced along the counter, and began to lick up the wall. Iversson looked at her totally aghast, her mouth a perfect 'O' of horror, as the flickering, blueish light made strange shadows on her face.

Lex yanked the woman to her feet, slamming her against the wall "You _are_ going to help me Professor." She hissed "We are leaving now and we're going in your car – you _do_ have a car?"

Iversson nodded weakly "A Dodge, outside on the staff lot."

"Give me the keys." She touched the palm catches that drew in the dah'kte on one hand and took them. Yanking Iversson's passcard off her neck, she threaded the lanyard that held it through the keys and looped it round her own. Bottles on the counter started shattering as the fire reached them.

She pulled Iversson to the door. Outside she could hear hushed voices. More guards would be here by now. She pressed the release button and the door unlocked.

"We're coming out," She called through the crack in the door "Back off! Away from the door."

She pushed Iversson through first – holding the blades to her throat. She heard a shuffling of feet as the guards moved back.

She glanced over the woman's shoulder. The corridor was full of uniformed men. She held Iversson in front of her like a shield, the wrist knives pressed to her throat. Advancing slowly, her eyes flicked from one man to the next.

As she calculated her next move, the lights suddenly died and they were plunged into darkness for a few moments. In the gloom she felt someone approaching cautiously on her right side and hands outstretched. Without hesitation she struck out with the blades. She felt them connect with something solid and was rewarded with a piercing shriek that went on and on. She heard frantic scuffling noises as the other men fought to get out of the way.

Within moments the lights came back on – harshly illuminating everything. She could smell burning from the lab behind her and suddenly the sprinkler system spluttered into life – drenching everyone.

One man lay at her feet – clutching his ruined arm and shrieking horribly in a spreading red pool, already beginning to wash away in the hissing downpour from the ceiling. Professor Iversson screamed and struggled, trying to break away from her, but Lex held her tightly by the arm.

"Next one of you comes near me," she breathed "I'll aim lower."

* * *

Ostrowski and Haines, Johnson and Rheinhardt followed the staff guards down to the generator room. As he got nearer he picked up the smell of burning plastic. There was a small group of men already standing around the door, waiting.

Haines nodded at him "What you wanna do Major?"

Ostrowski looked at one of the soldiers standing at the door "Anyone been through that door yet?"

"No sir," the man looked worried "Private Armstrong and Private Cassidy were sent down to check it out earlier when the cameras stopped working, they haven't come out."

At that moment, they heard a groan followed by a voice calling faintly on the other side of the door "Oh God, help me…."

Ostrowski and Haines looked at each other. Both knew what the other one was thinking. Haines lip curled back in a sneer "They need to learn some new tricks, bullshit voice mimicking software." He said in a low voice.

Ostrowski nodded and turned back to the soldier "Ok, give me your door pass." The man handed it over "Now you and the rest of your men get out of the way. Johnson, Rheinhardt you get either side of that door. Halloran you're with me. Remember, if it is a hostile life-form our orders are to terminate on sight."

They took up station, weapons held ready – he turned to Haines, handing him the keycard. "On my signal get it open. We'll cover you."

In the quiet they heard the voice again "Please… help me."

Looking at Ostrowski, Haines got the key card ready in his hand. He breathed in tensely, and they looked at each other for a moment. Then he nodded. Haines swiped the key card and kicked the door hard.

As it swung open, Ostrowski saw the main power source casing was busted open, scorched and melted. On the floor, tied to the generator was a soldier, hands secured behind his back. He also saw, attached to the back up generator nearest the door, a collection of small metal objects. They were round and silver coloured – and on each one a little red light was blinking.

His eyes widened in horror as he realised they'd just walked into a trap. He just had time to yell a warning to Haines and throw himself down and to one side before the grenades exploded, painting the whole world white.

* * *

Even on the other side of the quad, Lex felt the explosion rock the building. The lights went out again as the back-up generator died. As she stood in the blackness, wondering what the hell was going on, momentarily distracted, Iversson made a break for it. She brought the point of her high heel down on Lex's bare foot, making her yelp in surprise and pain. For a moment her grip on Iversson's arm loosened and the woman staggered away from her in the dark.

Red emergency lighting flickered on, bathing everything in a strange bloody glow. The sprinkler system stopped as everything except emergency power went off. Lex looked round, trying to get a handle on the situation. Ivresson seemed to have disappeared. "Probably run back into the lab," she thought bitterly "Trying to salvage some of her precious research."

The guards were cautiously advancing on her now they could see she no longer had a hostage. She noticed they were keeping their guns holstered "They'll have been ordered to take me alive," she thought "I'm far too valuable for them to just cap me!"

She glanced up the hall behind her and saw more guards there too. She did a quick headcount. Eight of them against one of her. She was totally outnumbered but she also knew that if she gave herself up, she wouldn't get another chance to escape. Something clicked inside her "I'm not going back in that cell." She thought "I'd rather die!" Her jaw set hard and she raised the wristblades in a fighting stance. She thought back to the time she'd fought those bugs in the desert. Then she'd been terrified. Now she felt calm, calm and certain of her own power. They only wanted to catch her, not kill her – she had no such qualms about hurting them.

They crowded round her, trying to box her in, pull her down. As the first guard made a grab for her she swung one blade at him, and he lost his arm just above the elbow. As he shrieked and tried to get out of the way she wheeled round, slicing across the gut of the man who was creeping up behind her. He spluttered, spitting out a mouthful of blood and collapsed clutching his stomach. The man next to him fell backwards as the blades raked across his face in a violent upswing.

The other guards fell back in horror, almost climbing over each other in their haste to get away from the flashing knives as she pressed forward towards them. She swung again catching one man across the arm and another a deep slicing blow to the inner thigh. She must have struck an artery, because warm redness fountained up all over her in a huge, shocking spurt – soaking the front of her vest, crimson on white.

She darted back out of reach, knowing she couldn't stand still for long. If one of them managed to get a grip on her, pull her down so they could all pile onto her, she was finished. Speed was everything. She smiled at them nastily; she'd had plenty of practise at this game.

She lunged forward again, trying to hack a path through them, force them to get out of her way. One man was foolish enough to try and get hold of her arm. One blade came slicing round, severing his hand at the wrist. She stepped round his thrashing body, her back against the wall. Six men writhed on the wet floor, their blood looked black in the red light as it mingled and dissipated in the puddles of sprinkler water. Blades held out in front of her, she faced the two remaining guards. They watched her warily, obviously unnerved by the screams of their fallen colleagues but still one of them was already trying to edge round behind her and grab her arms – were they crazy? To her surprise they presented little challenge, almost seeming to move in slow motion before her eyes.

She lashed out and kicked the first one hard in the stomach, turning on the ball of her foot as he bent double. The second man took a swiping blow across the chest and she felt the blades rattle along his ribcage. The first man was still retching, trying to get his breath back enough to swing at her. As she spun again she drove the blades hard right into his shoulder. He screamed, unnaturally high-pitched. As she yanked them free he collapsed, spraying blood across the wall.

She straightened up and looked around her, suddenly the only one still standing up in a sea of gore and dead or dying men. She glanced down the corridor – it seemed clear enough. If more people were coming they weren't here yet. She looked around at the men lying at her feet, wondering if any of them had boots that would fit her, but decided she didn't have time to find out.

With a final backward glance she turned and ran down the hallway, feet slithering on the swimming floor. She didn't know where she was running to, but she was starting to hear the sounds of pursuit behind her.

As she rounded a corner she almost collided with a pair of guards running her way.

She barely broke her stride but darted quickly to one side, dodging around them and at the same time flicking out the blades so that she caught the nearest one in the midriff. He cried out and doubled up right in front of his partner's astonished face. She didn't stop but leapt towards the second man and sliced him right across his cheek.

Not looking back to see them fall – she sprinted on down the corridor until she reached a big pair of double doors. Panting, she grasped Iversson's pass and swiped it, slipping through the door as quickly as she could.

A dark shape loomed up on her right and flung out two arms to grab her. Only her reflexes saved her as she ducked under his grasp and leapt out of the way – slashing out blindly in his direction. She felt blood splash her face, heard an agonised cry and quickly swung round to check the corridor she'd walked into.

One man was crouched on the floor by the door, holding his arm. That left two other men in combat fatigues. Big, unsympathetic-looking men – tooled up, armed to the teeth and covered in what looked liked body armour everywhere except their faces. She squared her shoulders – she'd faced bigger and uglier adversaries than these.

She raised the blades aggressively and stood facing them, her eyes pitch black and glinting in her blood-stained face "Get out of my way," she said in a low voice "Or I'll kill you."

The tallest, a dark eyed man with a shaven head, grinned "So you're Alexa Woods," he said "I like a broad who knows how to handle herself."

"That's a shame," She raised an eyebrow "Because I hate sleazy, loudmouth pricks."

His leer got wider "But you _do_ like running around with monsters. Well, I'm the fucking wolf-man baby."

She said nothing but watched him carefully, eyes unnaturally wide and bright with adrenalin as she listened for movement behind her.

The other man held out a conciliatory hand "Please calm down Ms Woods, I'm Private Galton and this is Lieutenant Sanchez. Please just give it up. We don't want to hurt you."

"Well I'm sorry to tell you this boys," She said "But that's your problem."

She heard the door creak and stepped to one side so she could see behind her. A fourth man, dressed the same as the others, had slipped into the hallway through the door she'd used.

Again she noticed that none of them had pulled a weapon, despite being spoiled for choice. She guessed they must have been told to take her alive. Well that was all good.

She sheathed dah'kte and pulled out the combispear, twisting it so that the blades shot out from either end. She noticed the two men in front of her exchange a glance and start moving forward, trying to get round her. These weren't like the other guards, she could tell by the way they moved. They could fight and if she wasn't careful they would pull her down. She needed to take them out of the game as quickly as possible.

She darted towards the two that blocked her way and swiped the spear at them. They moved back, evading her easily, but she watched their eyes. Seeing them focus on something behind her back she guessed that the third man was moving up on her. She took a gamble and thrust the spear backwards as hard as she could, hoping it would at least wind him. To her satisfaction she felt it pierce something and heard a hiss of surprised breath. Keeping her eyes fixed on the two other men she pulled it free and risked a quick look to one side so she could see what she'd hit. The man behind her was looking down in a dazed way at the spreading damp patch in his side. Without hesitating she thrust one hand at him, touching the catch to bring the blades out mid-swing, and dealt him a savage blow to the head, knocking him down.

Before she had a chance to turn back Sanchez was on her, gripping her by the arm that held the spear. She turned and plunged the blades on her free hand into his leg as deep as they would go. There was a wet noise, like skewering a raw cabbage. He bellowed in pain and struck out wildly, punching her in the face. The blow caught her on the cheekbone but didn't stun her. She wrenched the blades free and twisted violently out of his grasp, bolting desperately for the door as she saw Galton lunging towards her. Bringing the spear up, she hit him in the nose with the shaft, causing him to stagger backwards with a spluttering noise.

She already had the pass card in her hand as she reached the door, swiped it and burst through. Gasping for breath as she ran, she was surprised and disorientated to find herself outside. It was night time, dark and sultry, the stifling heat rising up to meet her as she ran across the dusty ground. Thunder rolled ominously in the distance. Her gaze darted all around to see if there were any more guards out here but she saw none. She could smell smoke and see an orangey glow flickering on the other side of the quad. Obviously the explosion – or whatever that had been – had caused another fire. As she ran, she wondered if the lab was still burning or if the sprinklers had put the blaze out.

The door crashed open again behind her as the remaining men came through. She was a fast runner but Galton was catching her up with his longer stride and he tackled her from behind, taking her legs out from under her. She went down awkwardly, striking her hip on the ground. One arm was trapped underneath her by their combined weight, but she was so awash with adrenalin she felt no pain, just anger "Get the fuck off me!" she screamed, furiously slashing at him. He caught her wrist so she couldn't use the blades.

Then Sanchez caught up with them, limping because of the wound on his leg, and dragged her upright by her hair. She realised that her other arm was now free but, before she could do anything, he backhanded her in the face. She struck at him with the blades and managed to score shallow track-lines across his front, but the blow struck him at a difficult angle and she didn't pierce his body-armour deep enough to do any real damage.

Before she could take a second swipe he caught her arm and punched her again, harder. This time her head rolled backwards – her vision went red and black for a moment. The other man had grabbed hold of her wrists and was trying to drag her out of the Lieutenant's grasp.

Through the ringing in her ears she heard Galton yelling "Sanchez, calm the fuck down!"

"This crazy bitch killed Verney and Johnson!" Sanchez almost screamed.

"She's pregnant, man!" Galton's voice carried a note of hysteria "She's down – stop hitting her! Our primary objective is to protect her!"

She struggled to make her eyes focus on them, vision swimming "I've got to fight back!" She thought frantically "Or he's going to beat me to a pulp!"

"She fucking stabbed me!" Sanchez pulled back a huge fist "I'm gonna teach this cunt a lesson!"

Above their heads there was a crack of lightening followed by an ear splitting boom as the heavens opened.

* * *

Scar pulled himself out of the vent on the roof and perched on the ledge overlooking the quad at the centre of the complex. The atmosphere had changed, now the air was hot and crackling with electricity. He looked up and saw the night sky was clouding over, towering thunderheads piling up on all sides. He checked his wrist-com, scanning to see where the signal was coming from. It looked like it was on the ground floor of the building – he was only four stories up so not far to go. He planned to wait until he heard the explosion so that he could start searching whilst the humans were panicked. He was just about to climb down the outside wall. In the dark he thought it unlikely they would see him.

Then he heard a noise behind him and turned to see two men staring in puzzlement at the damaged vent cover that lay on the roof.

He stood undecided for a moment. On the one hand he didn't want to give himself away but on the other, the damage was already done. If he let them live, soon the whole place would know there was an intruder in the building. Making up his mind in a split second, he pulled a throwing blade and put it right between the first man's eyes. As the body crumpled to the floor, he'd already reached the second guard, tearing out his throat with a single blow.

It was at that moment that he heard the explosion and felt the building tremble under his feet. He grinned to himself and went to his vantage point on the edge of the roof, gleefully watching the humans run everywhere like frantic insects.

He was about to start climbing down again, but the two men must have alerted someone because now more soldiers were emerging cautiously from the stairwell. He frowned – why weren't they all running towards the noise?

Well he'd have to deal with them sooner or later anyway, and fight always came much more naturally than flight. He launched himself into the group hacking and slashing with his blades – still trying to avoid using the plasma cannon to cut down on the noise.

The humans were thrown into a panic. They couldn't see him, only the damage he was inflicting. They fired their weapons blindly, often hitting each other. Scar barely needed to exert himself at all except to take the time to dodge the occasional bullet. One man with a particularly nasty automatic weapon was picked up by the head and pitched off the roof. Another he ripped open from groin to throat. The air became sticky with gore and his brain became empty of everything except the intoxicating joy of killing. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he temporarily forgot why he was even here.

When finally he stood alone amidst the carnage, it was a second or two before he came back to himself. The rooftop was a slaughter house. Mangled human bodies lay at his feet everywhere he looked. He suddenly remembered that he'd come here for Lex.

He opened the wristcom again, wiping his bloody hand on his thigh. The signal had moved – it wasn't in the building anymore. He went quickly to the edge of the roof just in time to see a figure, the first female he'd seen here, running across the quad. He thought he recognised the shape of her and the way she moved. He used the mask's zoom function to look more closely – it was her! He felt his stomach muscles knot up. After weeks of thinking about nothing else, he could scarcely fail to recognise her.

As he watched, two larger humans ran after her. One of them knocked her to the floor. Then the other, bigger one began laying into her.

His blood boiled. All his thoughts of caution and restraint ignited and burned, blackening to ashes in an instant to be replaced by one thought: _"I am going to_ _ **tear them APART**_ _ **!**_ _"_

The sky lit up and thunder rolled, so loud it made the floor judder. The clouds burst, showering down hot, hissing rain. He engaged the targeting system on his laser cannon and leapt off the roof.

* * *

All three humans turned as one of the quickly expanding puddles exploded, spraying up into the air. Sanchez's grip loosed on Lex's hair and she dropped to her hands and knees, retching.

All three of them turned. Rain sizzled off the huge and familiar shape that straightened up out of a crouch, becoming visible as the water caused its cloaking device to crackle and short out. In the strobing, white illumination from the lightening, its metal facemask seemed to glower menacingly. The thing gave a deafening roar, as loud as an express train. Sanchez watched as if mesmerised as three red dots appeared on his stomach. He made a grab for his gun but he never reached it. The plasma fire knocked him to the floor in a cloud of red vapour. As he lay, writhing and shrieking on the ground, Galton was hit in the shoulder.

Lex watched the apparition prowl towards them through the hammering rain. As soon as she'd realised that the thing was yautja her heart leaped into her mouth. She pushed herself to her feet and tried to focus. Still disorientated from being hit, she couldn't tell if it was a new threat or if she recognised him.

"Is it… Scar?" She thought, squinting through swimming eyes. Many times she'd wished him here so that she could see him destroy all these people that she loathed. She'd fantasised about it but she certainly had never really expected to see him again. Now, she wondered if she was hallucinating.

As her vision began to clear she realised it _was_ him, she knew it. Blood rushed to her head and for a second she thought she might pass out, from shock or from relief she didn't know which.

As if in a dream, she watched him advance on the Lieutenant. Sanchez was hysterical with fear, alternately shouting obscenities and begging for help. She knew instinctively that what followed would not be pleasant – if he'd wanted to kill the men quickly he would have gone for a head shot – but she didn't look away. A year ago, even months ago, she'd have felt something for him; pity, sorrow, empathy. As she massaged her jaw she felt nothing but the pain from where he'd hit her and satisfaction, that he couldn't do it again.

She watched as Scar picked the Lieutenant up, ignoring the screaming and pleading, and drove his wrist-blades into the man's throat. With a grunt of effort he ripped the soldier's head from his shoulders. It came away and the screaming morphed into the grotesque tearing of gristle and flesh. He tossed the grisly object aside and it bounced on the floor with a hollow noise like a coconut.

He walked over to Galton, who was struggling to drag himself away. Lifting him up by the hair, Scar decapitated him with a single stroke.

"I've never seen him kill another human being up close like this. I should be appalled. Why aren't I?" She thought, her mind oddly tranquil "I don't care that they're dead. They were just …enemies I needed out of my way."

* * *

Scar heard her say his name. He turned, still clutching Galton's severed head in one hand and all the murderous intent of the past few seconds drained away immediately. Dishevelled, dripping wet and bloody, she was more desirable even than he remembered. He was about to say something but as his gaze travelled further down her body he froze. The skull slipped from his fingers and rolled away.

He hadn't noticed from a distance but looking at her now through the mask's thermal vision he could see the pulsing foetus inside her, hear the tiny heart beat fluttering _"How in the name of the soul-eating bitch goddess…?"_ He thought _"She is pregnant!"_

He was thunderstruck. How could this be?

For a few seconds he couldn't do anything except stare at her in stunned silence. He felt as if his brain was going to burst. For him – as with all males of his species – pregnancy inspired an almost religious awe. Not surprising considering that they lived in a completely masculine environment.

The possibility that it could be anyone's other than his never even crossed his mind. As far as he was concerned she was his female, therefore it was his offspring. _"All this time, she has been pregnant and I did not know!"_

* * *

Lex waited for him to make a move, doubt creeping along her backbone like a trickle of icey water. He looked terrifying and he was covered in blood. If only he wasn't wearing the mask. She couldn't tell if he even recognised her. His muscles were still tense, as if he was about to attack.

"Why doesn't he speak?" She thought desperately "Doesn't he know it's me? It hasn't been that long for Chrissakes, he can't have forgotten already. And if he has, what the hell is he doing here? Am I going to have to fight him?"

She said his name again, looking for any sign of a reaction.

Then he seemed to break out of whatever trance he was in. He retracted his blades and crossed the distance between them in three strides, until he was standing only a few inches away. He stood looking down into her face, the rain clattering on his metal visor and pouring in rivulets from the ends of his mane. He made that rumbling, clicking noise in his throat that always reminded her of the of some enormous jungle cat.

He put out one hand and brushed her stomach with the tips of his talons and growled again, a raw, guttural sound. Her jaw dropped as she realised what he meant.

"He knows," she thought "He knows! He can see it through that damned mask!" Tears sprang into her eyes and mingled with the raindrops pouring down her face. In a way it hadn't seemed real to her until this moment. Then suddenly she felt a flash of rage as she remembered the last time she'd seen him. This… _bastard_ had fucked her and then slipped out to fight D'Kand whilst she was asleep, but D'Kand had come to kill her instead. That was how she'd ended up a prisoner here.

Her temper flared as she thought of all the weeks of miserable incarceration and she lashed out with one fist catching him on the side of the head, the blades making a metallic clang as the flat hit the side of his mask. "You stupid, stubborn, son-of-a-bitch!" She yelled, hitting him again "Do you realise I've been locked up here all this time? Because of you!"

She almost expected him to retaliate but he didn't even flinch. Instead he reached out one long arm and wrapped it round her, pinning her arms to her sides so that she couldn't hit him again. With a clicking, chittering growl he leaned down until his face was level with hers and with his free hand undid the screws that held his mask in place, pulling it off. His yellow eyes were wide and almost glowing, the pupils enormous. She squinted, her own eyes stinging with rain and prickling with tears, her lips twisting as she fought for control.

" _You are … not pleased?"_ He said finally, eyes searching her face. He sounded puzzled and almost… hurt.

She was disarmed. Sometimes his self-assurance made her forget just how immature he was. She squeezed her eyelids shut for a moment and tried to pull her fragmented thoughts together.

" _Did you come here to take me back to the Shadow?"_ she asked after a moment _"Because I am not going back."_

" _No. I just wanted to find you. And in any case…"_ His eyes flicked down to her stomach " _I do not think I can take you back there like_ _ **this!**_ _."_ She frowned up at him dubiously.

" _Besides"_ He continued _"I do not think I can go back myself. I killed some guards and stole a shuttle."_ His jaws spread in an enormous grin, rainwater dripping off his spikey, ridged brows _"I have probably earned at least three death sentences just to get here!"_

"Ha!" He might have messed up her life, but she'd messed up his life – what a ridiculous fucking mess. She suddenly found herself grinning for the first time in weeks. _"Is this evidence of your continuing stupidity supposed to make me happy?"_

He shook his head, shrugging _"Take it any way that pleases you – as you usually do. But I came here to get you and when I leave I am taking you with me. Do not argue."_

She was about to tell him that he'd get no argument on that score when her eye was drawn to a movement, over his shoulder and she realised they were not alone.

* * *

Agent Coulter had gathered the surviving members of the unit after he'd been alerted that the prisoner was in the courtyard of the quad. Haines and Halloran were both dead, they'd taken the full force of the explosion. Ostrowski was scorched and wounded but still able to walk – just. A lot of the men in the corridor had been hit by pieces of flying debris. They'd brought those that were not too badly injured with them. The only ones who'd escaped relatively unscathed were Carravino and Rheinhardt who'd been directly on either side of the doorway. They'd been unable to make contact with Sanchez or Galton or any of the rest of the men and Ostrowski feared the worst.

When they managed to pick themselves up and got outside the whole place was like a warzone. With no electricity to power the sprinkler system the fire was spreading steadily through the complex. The rain had damped the flames down slightly but it was still burning and choking black smoke billowed up into the sky.

They made their way carefully to the quad. Ostrowski peered round a corner and seeing the huge shape standing in the rain-swept courtyard, signalled to the rest of them to get down.

Flinging himself down behind a small wall he crawled forward, trying to ignore the pain as various parts of him protested even more vociferously. He raised his head just enough to peer over the top and squinted through the rain running into his eyes.

Beside him, Coulter raised his head over the wall. Together they stared at the enormous, nightmarish figure in the middle of the rainswept courtyard. "It's one of them." Ostrowski nodded and slowly began to raise his pulse rifle.

Coulter peered over the wall again. "Why is it just standing there?" He thought, puzzled. Then he saw her, the prisoner, standing right up close to it. He quickly laid a hand on Ostrowski's arm "Don't fire for God's sake! Put your guns down." he hissed at the other men.

"What the hell is that crazy bitch doing?" Ostrowski craned his neck, and pulled down his thermal goggles but the rain was messing up his vision too much to make anything out. He pushed them back onto his head "What – is she gonna fight it on her own? It'll to take her fucking head off!" He started to raise the rifle again.

"Put the gun down – _that's a direct order!_ " Coulter was trying not to raise his voice "If you hit her that represents billions of dollars worth of research and bio-weapons – up in smoke!"

Ostrowski grimaced "Sir, you don't know these bastards like I do," He hissed "If I don't shoot it, she's dead anyway. Her best chance of survival is if we can kill it. If we don't bring it down now, we may not get another chance - "

"It's not going to kill her or it'd have done it by now." Coulter saw Ostrowski's dubious expression "We can still recapture her and nail this fucker. We just need to get closer. But only use those tranquilliser darts. I don't want you accidentally blowing her brains out – she's far too valuable! The rest of you," he nodded at the men "Fan out, surround them. Darts only, no live rounds. That's an order! And give me one of those dart guns."

They crawled closer. As Coulter took up position and waited for the other men to get round behind them, he strained his eyes for a glimpse of the woman, trying to work out what the hell was going on. She didn't seem at all frightened or even nervous. As he watched in disbelief she hit the thing, smacked it twice right in the head. He could hear her shouting but couldn't make out the words. He felt a reluctant twinge of admiration – she was fearless! Abruptly it grabbed hold of her but she didn't flinch or struggle, didn't even try to fight back though he noticed now the metallic flash of the blades on her hands.

His brows drew together as he saw her mouth moving, was she… talking to it? He crawled closer, trying to get a better look, knuckles whitening as they tightened on the slippery surface of the dart gun.

Now he was close enough to see the oval of her face, beautiful despite the blood and the bruises, shiny with rain. Even from this distance it was obvious that she was smiling. It was the first time he'd ever seen her show any kind of warmth to anyone. Now – against all probability – she looked happy.

"I fucking knew it!" He thought "This isn't any kind of coincidence – she knows this motherfucker. He's come here to bust her out!"

Then abruptly her face changed, the smile dying on her lips as she locked eyes with him. In his eagerness to see, he realised that he'd blown their cover.

* * *

" _There are soldiers behind you."_ Lex murmured next to Scar's ear.

Immediately he turned, standing protectively in front of her. _"Let_ _ **me**_ _stand in front of_ _ **you**_ _idiot!"_ She said, trying to push him out of the way _"They do not want to kill me, they might blow your head off!"_

" _If you think I am going to cower behind a pregnant female you are out of your tiny soft-meat brain."_ He growled, pushing his mask back onto his face so he could at least see where the threat was coming from.

"Oh for God's sake!"She rolled her eyes to the heavens in frustration, but she knew it would be a waste of time to argue with him – it was more crucial for them to get out before they got captured. _"Where is the shuttle?"_ she asked.

" _In the desert. I could not land it here."_

She shook her head _"Then we have to get to the vehicles."_

He nodded as he did a quick scan of the quad. He could see eleven …twelve …thirteen red shapes circled around them, creeping closer. He growled and pressed the control pad on his wrist, engaging the multiple targeting function. It fizzled. He reached up and smacked the plasma cannon a few times but it was no use. The targeting system had obviously been damaged somehow, perhaps by the earlier fight or the rain.

She heard him utter a few filthy-sounding curses that she didn't entirely understand the meaning of. A thought struck her as her eyes lit on Galton's body which lay only a few feet away. She just had time to prise the big pulse rifle from the corpse's stiffening fingers before Scar snatched hold of her arm and started to run, dragging her with him. As he ran he wrenched the plasma gun from his shoulder and opened fire manually. The blast illuminated the quad, echoed quickly by another burst of lightening as two men dropped.

He heard the high-pitched whine of projectiles zipping past them and ran faster, almost lifting her off her feet as he pulled her along behind him. He shot one soldier who got too close, the impact threw the man to the floor. Another wasn't quick enough getting out of the way and was pistol-whipped to the ground hard enough to break his jaw. There were still men following them but they were keeping their distance.

As they rounded the corner of the quad, Lex saw the small lot, mainly filled with jeeps and a few cars. Nearby there was also a landing pad and a helicopter. _"Look!"_ She slapped his shoulder _"Over there!"_

He followed her as she ran towards the cars, running sideways so he could still shoot at the men behind them. She spotted the Dodge immediately and couldn't help an amused smirk – it was a big, gleaming-red convertible. She'd have put Iversson down for something silver, understated and businesslike to match her WASP-ish personality, not this sexy sports car that looked like a midlife crisis on wheels. She'd even left the top down, obviously not expecting rain in the desert heat.

She already had the keys in her hand as she flung herself into the driver's seat, putting the gun across her lap. Scar reached the passenger side and stopped, still watching behind them, covering their escape with the plasma gun. Their pursuers were almost on them and she could hear shouting. She reversed out onto the road quickly without any thought for the car's suspension and stopped, gunning the engine.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Get in!"She yelled at him.

He ignored her and fired a few bursts of plasma at the jeeps parked nearby. The nearest few burst into flames. He fired again a few more times at the remaining undamaged vehicles and one of the petrol tanks burst open showering the other cars with burning petrol, the fire spreading quickly along the line. Grinning to himself he turned and opened fire on the copter, shattering the rotor blades and turning the cockpit into one giant fireball.

Finally turning to look at the Dodge he reached down with one arm and ripped out the tan, leather-lined seat, tossing it out onto the wet concrete. Lex winced, imagining what Iversson's expression would have been if she'd seen the punishment being meted out to her beautiful sports car. He vaulted into the gap left by the passenger seat folding himself uncomfortably into the space between the back and the passenger seat, the suspension groaning and squealing under this further abuse. As the first soldiers reached them she put her foot down and accelerated towards them, causing them to leap out of the way all except for one who hit the bumper and rolled over the bonnet. She jammed her bare foot on the gas, driving as fast as the car would go. Men scattered out of her path and the wheels squealed on the wet tarmac as she followed the road down to the main entrance. She could see the gates were too heavy and solid to just bust through. If she tried they'd both end up laminated across them. Two guards were running out of the little security checkpoint to bar the way, pulling out their guns and shouting at her to stop.

As she brought the Dodge screeching to a halt beside them, Scar exploded out of the car, causing the vehicle to rock alarmingly. He landed on the nearest soldier and punched him in the jaw, knocking his head to one side with a snapping noise. As he turned to the second guard, the terrified man raised his gun. The hunter thrust out one vast, clawed hand and knocked the pistol out of his grasp but not before the guard managed to squeeze off a shot, hitting him in the side. Without even slowing down Scar brought the other arm swinging round, wrist-blades shooting out, and impaled him through the sternum.

Emerald, green blood dripping down his torso and mingling with the rain, he smashed the window of the checkpoint booth and reached through the hole to press the button that opened the gates. As they slid open he turned and saw more soldiers coming up behind them, these ones were armed with larger guns. One hand pressed against his injured side he shot two of them with the plasma cannnon and threw himself into the ridiculously small human vehicle, blood-slick hands slithering on polished metal. As the car screeched through the gates into the darkness he heard a zipping noise and felt a stinging sensation. When he looked round, there were two large, black darts sticking out of his shoulder.

Agent Coulter reached the main gate in time to see the car being swallowed up by the blackness. Ostrowski was there already. As Coulter came alongside him he lowered his gun. "I'm pretty sure I darted the hostile." He said staring after them.

"Major!" Coulter yelled at him in frustration "Get the chopper, we have to get her back!"

"Chopper's wasted sir. It's just a heap of scrap." Ostrowski told him "Son-of-a-bitch took out most of the jeeps too. Main complex is still on fire, power's still out. Between 'em, they virtually levelled this whole place."

"Come on," Coulter growled "We must have at least one vehicle that's not a burnt out wreck."

The Dodge came to a halt a few feet away from the gully where the shuttle was hidden. Lex couldn't get it any closer – the suspension was already shot and the wheels were having difficulty with the terrain. The rain had churned the dust of the desert up into mud. She jumped out and went round to the other door. Scar was sprawled across the gap left by the passenger seat and backseat. He was barely awake, head lolling backwards and he'd been bleeding. The luxurious tan leather interior was smeared with his bright green blood.

She hadn't even realised he'd been hit with the darts until he'd started to get woozy about ten minutes ago and now he was having trouble staying conscious She leaned across and shook him desperately by the shoulder. _"Get up S'Kia!"_ she said loudly in his language, knowing it was the best way to get a response _"We are near the shuttle but you are going to have to walk. Get up!"_

With an enormous effort he managed to drag himself out of the vehicle and stagger towards the gully, Lex doing her best to hold him up with one of his arms around her shoulders. Vivid, green blood oozed between his fingers where he held them pressed against the gunshot wound and green droplets spattered down onto the muddy floor. "I've got to keep him awake somehow or we'll never get out of here" She thought desperately "I don't even know how to fly that thing!"

" _Does this remind you of anything?"_ She asked, struggling to keep him upright and walk at the same time.

He raised his head _"You mean… the poison flowersssss?"_ His voice was slurring, drunk-sounding. She could tell he was finding it difficult to speak.

" _Yes,"_ She spoke through gritted teeth _"Although you were not …quite so heavy back then!"_

" _Allowing myself… to be hit… careless."_ He mumbled indistinctly _"You should…leave me here."_

" _Concentrate on walking. We are nearly there."_ They were now inside the gully, but he weighed a ton. Every step felt like she was wading through tar and every muscle in her body was aching.

He lifted his wrist-com and with difficulty focussing on the LED display punched the controls that uncloaked the ship. The shuttle rippled into view like an optical illusion and he pressed the controls to make the hatch open in its belly.

As they began to make their painstaking way towards it, she heard the noise of an engine at the top of the gully and her heart sank. "Please not now. We're almost there!" She still had the pulse rifle on its strap slung round her neck and she turned, her finger on the trigger, Scar still leaning heavily against her shoulder.

She saw the lights of another car in the darkness and two figures appeared at the top of the rise. Raising the gun she fired a burst in their direction and noted with satisfaction that they fell back – either retreated or shot down. She didn't care as long as they stayed away.

As she dragged him closer to the shuttle she heard a voice behind her and her skin crawled with loathing as she recognised it.

"Woods?" Agent Coulter shouted from over the lip of the gully "We've got you surrounded. Why don't you just make it easy on yourself and give it up?"

"Why don't you come and get me, motherfucker?" She yelled back, doggedly struggling towards the gangway "I'll shoot you, I swear to God!"

"I'll keep her talking," Coulter whispered to Ostrowski, Carravino and Rheinhardt "You get round behind them."

"Come on Lex," He called as the three surviving members of the unit crept into the darkness, "Don't be stupid! Where are you going to escape _to_?"

She said nothing, they were almost at the ship. "Just a few more steps." She thought. As they reached the gangway, Scar's legs gave way underneath him and he finally lost consciousness. He collapsed, nearly taking her down with him. She cursed and pulled at his arm in dismay but he was a total dead weight, she couldn't budge him. As she tried frantically to get him to wake up, a man in the same black fatigues as the four who'd attacked her in the complex appeared from the other end of the gully – gun trained on her.

"Put your hands in the air sweetheart." he said "End of the line."

She raised her hands as if she was about to co-operate. As he came forward she quickly darted behind the steps up to the ship, hearing projectiles smacking into the metal where she'd been standing moments before. Grabbing the pulse rifle, she shot him – hitting him in the shoulder. The impact spun him round. His kevlar vest must have protected him, because he recovered his balance and raised the gun but the wobble had given her the moment she needed and she shot him again – this time hitting him in the head.

She heard darts ricochet off the ship and saw two more figures in black coming down the gully. She crouched behind the walkway, panting for breath. They were wearing body armour too, bullets would only do limited damage – time for a change of strategy. Reaching behind her to where Scar was lying, she grabbed his plasma cannon out of his hand. Uttering a very brief prayer she popped her head up and shot a burst of plasma in their direction. She saw one man go down as the white, hot light scythed through his leg and fired again, knocking the other man off his feet as she hit him in the chest. She shot them both again, without waiting to see if they'd get up.

Suddenly she felt a muzzle pressed against the small of her back "Drop your weapons." said Coulter's voice behind her. There was nothing she could do but comply. Cursing silently, she let both guns fall, splashing into the mud.

"Turn around," he prodded her in the back "Slowly. Keep your hands where I can see them."

She turned, boiling with impotent fury "Don't get cute." He said, seeing her expression "Back-up will be here in a few minutes so you and me are just going to sit tight until they arrive."

"I knew there was plenty you were keeping back," He said after a moment, looking her up and down slowly and deliberately "But it didn't have to be this way Lex, still doesn't. If you'd just co-operate – "

"Then what?" She spat, holding herself back only with difficulty "You'll let me go? After you've taken my baby, cut it up and run tests on it? Or turned it into some kind of living weapon?"  
His crooked grin became a disbelieving chuckle as he heard the anger in her voice "You can't seriously want to keep that _thing_ you've got in there!"

"Even if I were the kind of woman who'd give up her child to save herself, do you think I'm an idiot?" She continued with a disbelieving laugh "Do you honestly think I'd trust you? I'd be left to rot in a cell or locked up in some legal black hole for the rest of my life. Because you can't have me telling people all this classified information, now can you? Or perhaps you were planning to give me a nice, quick bullet in the back of the head and a shallow grave somewhere under the desert?"

"Well your future sure ain't looking too rosy right now!" He admitted "You're a wanted felon and a multiple murderess – I think most folks would consider putting you down a service to society. Believe me things can get a lot worse for you than a shallow grave in the desert! But you can take comfort in knowing that despite all the men you've killed and the damage you've caused, you've actually delivered the biggest windfall we ever had. Now we've got you back and we'll soon have all the information in that messed-up head of yours; we'll have your hostile-hybrid baby, we've got this ship and we've even managed to bag us a live specimen. The Professor's eyes are gonna just bug out when we drag Daddy here back to the lab."

When she remained silent, he went on "I'm right aren't I? This ugly, mutant-lizard is the father – that's why he's here?"

She didn't answer him but scowled and looked away. He laughed "Sweet Jesus, I love being right! And you're prepared to kill for this thing?"

"To kill you? In a heartbeat."

He smiled with satisfaction "I knew your little amnesia act was bullshit! You're not some innocent victim. You're a stone cold killer. I can see it in your eyes. They've turned you into one of them."

"No." She shook her head, eyes glittering "You did that. Months on a ship full of monsters but it took coming back to humanity to really do the job." She was almost smiling.

"You keep on telling yourself that sweetheart,'" He shook his head, keeping the gun pointed at her abdomen "I saw how much you enjoyed it, all that violence and killing. Can't blame me for that!"

"And I've seen the way you look at me you sleazy sadist." She said evenly "You said yourself, the only reason you haven't tortured me already is because you want our baby."

"So it's 'our' baby now, not just 'yours'?" He raised his eyebrows at her and grinned, "Very sweet. Tell me, was it love at first sight or were you just scratching an itch when you let him stick it to you?"

Her lips curled back in revulsion "You're disgusting!"

" _I'm_ disgusting?!" He laughed "I'm just trying to work out what it is you saw in the creature-from-the-black-lagoon here. What is he, the galaxy's smoothest talker? Cos I'm taking a guess it sure ain't his looks!" He gestured to the body of the unconscious hunter. Who was no longer there…..

"Guess again insect!" Growled a low, guttural, voice right by his ear. His eyes widened and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up in primal fear. Before he could move, two jagged blades erupted through his ribcage, spattering her with a shock of red blood and bone fragments right in front of his aghast eyes. He tried to turn his head, unable to make sense of what had happened for a moment, the agony almost too much to bear. With a snarl the blades were yanked free and he was thrown to the floor. Scar stood behind him, still swaying but on his feet and conscious.

* * *

Gazing up at the starry sky, Coulter saw the woman come to stand looking down at him, the creature loomed next to her, leaning over her shoulder. Through the haze of pain, he wasn't sure which was more terrifying – the blank metal mask of the hostile or her black eyes, seeming unnaturally large in her crimson-stained face.

"He talks too much… disrespectful," The thing slurred in her ear in grating English, seeming almost drunk from the effects of the tranquillisers "Do you want me to… pull out his backbone?"

"We don't have time for that." She smiled mirthlessly into Coulter's eyes, pointed the gun at his forehead "You see? _He'd_ like to give you a really painful death. Aren't you lucky I'm so merciful?" She said, and fired.

* * *

At least now Scar was semi-conscious again he could half-walk, half-crawl up onto the shuttle but it still took Lex what seemed like an age to get him inside.

" _You should .. not ...carry me,"_ He mumbled _"You will … injure yourself…"_

" _Stop your whining."_ She told him firmly as they reached the top _"And start the engines."_

He half fell onto the floor of the cockpit and flipped open the wrist-com. Squinting at the figures that swirled in front of his eyes, he tapped the controls. The door slid shut and then his head dropped forward onto the deck with a metallic thunk. She heard a roar as the engine turbines fired up and the craft shuddered.

He was out cold again, so she slid him along the smooth, metal floor to one of the chairs. Manhandling him into it as best she could, she strapped him in. That left her just enough time to fasten herself to the co-pilot seat before the shuttle blasted off.

Take-offs and landings always made her feel sick in these things. As the g-forces pinned her to the chair, she choked back the bile, not wanting to vomit. She was exhausted, tired to the bone. Sleep was pressing down on her as inexorably as gravity. She stopped resisting.

* * *

She woke up with a start when the baby moved inside her. Something seemed to have stirred it up and her stomach was churning, making her feel nauseous again. She wondered if that was normal – to feel it moving this early on "What the hell do I know about normal?" She thought, with a slight shudder.

The ship had stopped shaking. Looking through the viewing window she saw it had broken through the atmosphere and as far as she could make out, they were drifting in space.

Scar was still where she'd left him, sprawled across the chair. She had no way of knowing how long he'd been out, or if she should be worried about that. With a stab of panic she noticed that the bullet wound continued to bleed and his leopard-like markings were showing up sharply against his pallid skin. She'd been so worried about escaping she'd forgotten about the gunshot wound.

He was so still that, for one horrible moment, she thought he might be dead. Quickly, she put two fingers to his throat. To her immense relief there was a pulse there.

She rummaged frantically for the medikit she knew must be on board somewhere. It took her about an hour to work out how to use the weirdly-shaped equipment. She'd never managed to totally get the hang of their version of first aid. To her it always seemed to cause more pain than was strictly necessary, but at last she managed to finally stop the bleeding. She hoped the bullet wasn't still in there. "Hopefully gone straight through." she thought.

"I hope you plan to wake up soon," She said to him aloud, wiping her hands on her already-filthy clothes "Because I don't want to be drifting out here for ever."

She looked at her wrist-com in frustration. She knew by now what one or two of the characters meant, but she still had only the vaguest idea of how to use it. Giving up she closed it, casting a despairing glance at the bank of controls "I'll have to make you teach me to pilot this thing." She sighed.

She reached down and unfastened his mask, pulled it off. Resting her arms on his knees, she leaned forward to get a better look at him. His skin was covered with dried gore. She patted the side of his face a few times to see if he'd wake up but there was no reaction.

She felt a sudden wave of affection for him. He had come all this way just to find her, so he must feel some kind of loyalty or allegience to her. She hadn't thought him capable of any feelings like that.

"I can't believe you came after me." She said quietly, one corner of her mouth curving up in a smile "It's lucky you can take a licking and keep right on ticking. Why is it whenever you help me, you end up unconscious or bleeding?"

As she leaned over him, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. The yellow lynx-eyes opened and the slitted pupils expanded for a moment before focussing on her.

" _I have often wondered the same thing."_ He said, still slightly lethargic from the sedatives _"I have come to the conclusion that you are some sort of demon of mortification, sent to torment me for my transgressions against the gods."_

" _Then why are you here, if I am so terrible?"_ She cocked an eyebrow.

" _Because, infernal female, I am prepared to shed blood – sometimes even my own – to keep what is mine."_

" _What?"_ She gave an incredulous laugh.

" _Of course,"_ He seemed deadly serious _"I have taken you and you are carrying my offspring. You must realise that means you belong to me now."_

" _You are the one who travelled across miles of space just to break me out of prison,"_ She glanced down at the gunshot wound _"That is very loyal. Has it not occurred to you that maybe_ _ **you**_ _are_ _ **my**_ _pet?"_

He closed his eyes and gave a rumble of laughter that evidently hurt him because it ended in a fit of coughing _"You are just as thick-headed as I am…"_ He pulled at her wrist, bringing her nearer.

" _Those darts must have scrambled your brains. No-one is as bone-headed as you are!"_ She said, but she was still smiling.

" _Do you mean you were only "_ scratching an itch" _when you let me – what was the human phrase again –_ "stick it to you" _?"_

" _Of course! It was not your looks. You are unbelievably ugly, you know!"_

He laughed again, louder this time, causing his whole body to shake _"Uglier than that_ _human germ_ _, very amusing."_

" _Careful!" She_ put a hand on his chest, trying to make him stop _"Or you are going to start bleeding on me again and I spent a long time patching you up."_

" _You have blood all over you already. A little more will not make any difference."_ He gripped her chin in one hand, turning her face first to one side, then the other so he could look at her properly _"Hrrrrrrrm. And you killed D'Kand, finally. You cannot know how much that makes me desire you, even if you are pregnant. Really I should not even touch you, it is – "_

"Forbidden?"She finished for him in English with a comic lift of her eyebrows "That word again! And here I thought you were an outlaw already. Anyway, what is a little deviancy between friends?"

 _Shameless!"_ He grinned wickedly _"And you ask why I came to get you back?"_


	11. Chapter 11

In the fading sunlight of a clearing in a remote part of the Amazon jungle Lex was lying stretched out on a big flat rock. She basked in the sun, drowsily half-listening to the humming of the small iridescent birds that hung in the air. She'd been sleeping a lot recently. She didn't know if it was the heat or her pregnancy that made her lethargic in the daytime. She was a little over seven months in and getting bigger every day – at least she felt like it. The baby kept her awake so much at night now, kicking and shifting around, that she'd become virtually nocturnal.

Scar had agreed to land here with almost no argument. He would never admit it, but he'd needed some time to recover from the bullet wound. Being shot in the abdomen at point-blank range was no picnic, even for him. For her own part, she was so used to bizarre and savage environments by now that being here in the jungle didn't bother her much. At least the air was breathable, there was water and it was really quite beautiful. It was also isolated enough that there was little chance of them being discovered, not by other humans anyway. There were one or two very remote settlements within a few days walk but if anyone came too close the shuttle's stealth technology would deal with that. There were other more pressing threats to be considered.

Although she'd been relieved that he had not tried to talk her into going back to the Shadow as she'd feared he might, it also worried her. She could only think that what he'd said about not being able to go back himself must be true. That meant they were on the run from both his species and hers. It made her nervous that someone from the clan might come looking for him – for both of them. Scar had done what he could to conceal the signal that might give them away but, as he'd told her, it was limited what he was able to do. Unless he was prepared to totally destroy both the shuttle and the wrist-coms, which he wasn't, they could still be tracked by a determined pursuer. She could only hope they had more important things to worry about.

In truth, she had more important things to worry about too.

With him back in the picture she'd completely discounted the idea of getting rid of the baby. She knew he would have done everything in his power to prevent her from ending the pregnancy. Even if she could have found a way of doing it and he had been willing… her own feelings meant she could not have brought herself to go through with it now. But sooner or later, she was going to have to give birth and the thought terrified her. Of course she'd known that was the fate she was choosing at the time, but back then it had seemed so far away. Now it was unavoidable, every day relentlessly drawing nearer. And after that terror there was the subtly more terrifying prospect of seeing what manner of child they'd managed to create. She wouldn't have admitted it to Scar but that was what fuelled some of her most awful nightmares. She knew he would be angry and incredulous that she could think any offspring of his could be less than genetically superior in every way but she couldn't quite forget Iversson's warnings …

A shadow blocked out her sunlight and she looked up and smiled lazily _"Bored?"_ she asked.

In answer, the hunter dropped the bleeding corpse of something large and hairy in front of her. Physically, he was pretty much his old self again. The bullet wound had become just a pale, puckered mark, another addition to the impressive collection of scar tissue that criss-crossed his torso.

" _It is not much of a challenge, hunting pigs."_ He snorted.

" _I suppose not,"_ She eyed the hulking carcass _"But at least they taste good."_

" _Is that all you think of? Food?"_ He crouched down next to her _"Unlike you, I need something else to fill up my time besides sleeping and eating."_

She sat up and made a face _"If I am always tired and hungry it is your fault. It is your gigantic, greedy offspring that keeps me awake and demands food all day and all night, like a small, carnivorous planet."_

He purred with amusement and tapped her swollen stomach lightly with the tips of his talons _"You are enormous."_ He said complacently _"But I have always thought that you were rather on the scrawny side."_

She had thought that he might find it tedious here without more formidable prey, but she hadn't counted on the hold her pregnancy seemed to exert over him. The more visible it was, the more fascinated he was by it.

Actually he seemed utterly besotted – although he probably didn't rationalise it that way – and he only knew two ways to express it. When he wasn't out killing things he couldn't keep away from her. "Anyone would think you'd never seen a pregnant female before."She'd said to him one afternoon when she realised he'd barely moved, had just been watching her for the last few hours as she lay dozing in the heat.

" _I have not."_ He replied absently.

" _You had brothers,"_ She said. He rarely talked about such things but she knew about his dead brothers _"Did you never see your mother pregnant?"_

He looked up at her face _"I was sent away from my mother when I was still in early infancy. It is so for all the males of my clan. I retain only a little memory of her and I was the youngest of her offspring. So no, I never saw her when she was … and from what I remember of her, she would have knocked my brains out against the wall rather than let any male see her like that!"_

He stretched as if the topic bored him _"Besides, the offspring you have in here is a totally different matter…"_

" _Because it is half human?"_ She asked curiously.

" _No,"_ He said, unable to keep the exultant tone out of his voice _"Because it belongs to me!"_

She frowned. He said this sort of thing sometimes "You are mine." "You belong to me." "I will never let you go." Coming from a human she'd have taken these remarks for romantic hyperbole, but she had realised some time ago that he did not intend to flatter her with sweet nothings. Such concepts were meaningless to him. He meant these things literally, she just hoped she never had to find out how literally.

For now at least he was so infatuated that even though he obviously felt that he should be the one calling the shots, he found it difficult to refuse her anything. Cynically she wondered if it would outlast the gestation period.

Of course, one of the side effects of their presence here was that endangered species in the vicinity had become considerably more so. She could've kitted herself out with more exotic furs than a mob mistress by now, if she'd been so inclined. And she didn't even know where he managed to find the vast alligators and even vaster snakes he occasionally turned up with – like a cat dropping mice on the doormat. She'd had to tactfully ask him to stop killing animals she didn't like to eat. She did not want another dead jaguar on her conscience.

Or, most awful and unspeakable, another dead human being. They both knew that there were people living not far away – some remote jungle tribe perhaps. The shuttles scanners had picked them up. When she asked him about it, he was dismissive. They didn't interest him, as long as they kept their distance. She wanted to believe that but in her darkest heart of hearts she wondered if she wasn't doing an incredibly selfish thing by keeping him here. She needed him right now – she'd come to accept that – but she couldn't pretend that he was any other than he was: a killer, a mortal danger to anyone who might stumble into their path. And was she any better? She went everywhere armed now, didn't feel comfortable otherwise. How long was it going to be before some blameless person died – someone who didn't deserve it?

She pulled on her boots (how happy she'd been when she discovered he'd thrown her other pair on board the shuttle along with her mask and the rest of her clothes and weapons) and got to her feet.

" _I am hungry. The little monster needs feeding again."_ she stated, yawning and sliding off the rock onto the forest floor.

He picked up the pig and slung it over his shoulder _"Hungry again?"_ He asked sarcastically.

" _One more remark about my eating,"_ She called over her shoulder as she began to stroll away, idly kicking up the leaves _"And I will wait until you are asleep and then cut something off."_

" _I like it when you talk dirty!"_ He jumped down after her and began to follow her back to the shuttle.

* * *

That night, Lex opened her eyes to find the inside of the shuttle bathed in red light. Irritated beyond belief she sat up to see the console lit up like the screens of the New York Stock exchange, columns of winking red hieroglyphs scrolling down the screen.

"What the hell is wrong with the damn thing?" Scowling, she got up for a closer look. She shivered, though it was not cold, and pulled the jaguar skin around her shoulders. She couldn't bring herself to throw it away, it was too beautiful.

Quite a lot of the past few months had been spent getting him to show her how the controls worked and how to read the LED display and she now had a partial understanding of them. She leaned on the console and squinted at the glowing characters, trying to read.

"Shadow…. death…. Some large number – one or two hundred maybe?...fight or fighting?...stealthy… what the hell is this?" She muttered under her breath "It's a message from the ship or maybe about the ship? It has to be, but what the hell does it say?"

She thought for a moment. Scar was not here, must have left sometime after she fell asleep. "I could wait for him to come back," She thought "But what if it is from the ship? What if it means they've tracked us down?" She stood there chewing on a knuckle "They could be on their way here right now!"

That thought decided her; he'd have to be told immediately. He was probably prowling around the jungle somewhere. Why, tonight of all nights, did he have to be out stalking something? "Or someone." said the treacherous little voice at the back of her head.

She put on her mask, slipping her feet into her boots she pressed the button that opened the door. As she stepped out into the buzzing jungle darkness, she switched to thermal imaging. Looking out into the forest she saw nothing bigger than the stealthy forms of snakes and the rustling clusters of roosting birds nearby. Bats showed up like fireflies, little pinpoints of heat flitting past. The shuttle rested on the edge of a wide, tree-filled basin and steaming mists coiled up from the forest floor, glowing where the moonlight struck them. The night fizzed and squeaked with the sounds of nocturnal life, the occasional animal cry in the distance. He could be anywhere out there.

She tried the mask's radio "Scar? Can you hear me?"

" _Yes"_ came the slightly crackly reply. He couldn't be all that far away if the mask coms still worked. She hated having to call him back, not wanting him to think she was some timid little female jumping at shadows, but she wanted to know if the message on the screen was important.

" _Come back here"_ she said _"Something is happening -"_

" _What? You are not hurt?"_

" _No, I - "_

" _Then what is the problem? Are you hungry again or just lonely? Either way I have something for you!"_ Even over the crackle of the transmitter, she could hear the leer in his voice.

"Just stop fucking around and get back here!" She snapped, slipping into English. She often found herself speaking her own language to him in times of stress and she was worried now. If he didn't understand all the words, he certainly would understand her tone of voice. She took the mask off and went back inside.

* * *

She was dressed and sitting pensively on the steps of the Umbra looking up at the moon when he emerged silently from the trees.

" _What is the emergency?"_ He purred.

" _Come and look at this."_ He followed her inside to where the console was still chattering away to itself, text rolling down the screen like lines of glowing red raindrops. He stood staring at the display in silence for so long that in the end, she shook him by the arm _"Well? What is it? Is it from the Shadow?"_

" _Not …exactly…."_ He shook his head, mystified _"I just do not believe…"_

"Believe what?" She said tensely "Just tell me what it says."

He was still staring at the screen _"The Shadow of Death is gone."_

" _What do you mean 'gone'?"_

" _Destroyed."_ He said, stupefied _"Along with almost everyone onboard – dead. Slaughtered."_

Her eyes widened in shock, she didn't know what to say.

" _Another clan attacked us."_ He said, then as if to himself _"It must be war."_

" _What – with who?"_ She scanned the message over his shoulder, wishing her command of their hieroglyphs was better _"And how could they do so much damage? Destroy the ship?"_ She could not imagine how such a vast creation as the Shadow, which was almost like a floating city (a floating country!) could simply cease to exist.

" _I do not know..."_ He began scanning the message contents again.

" _But why contact you? I thought you were under sentence of death – what do they expect you to do?"_

" _This is not a message intended for me. Not… specifically anyway. It has been sent out to all our craft,"_ He shook his head " _This… this must have been sent a day or two ago, maybe from an escape pod or a shuttle, to alert the rest of the clan. That is why we have picked it up."_

He walked to the other end of the cockpit, at a loss for what to do next. Leaning his hands flat on the wall, he tried to think. He was fighting the urge to fly into a rage and smash something, smash everything, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

Lex watched him anxiously. She wanted to say something but she couldn't think what. He'd just found out that his previous life, his ship, possibly all of his friends, had been erased forever. That he could never return there. She knew there was a big difference between choosing not to go back home and knowing that you couldn't go back, that there was nothing left that you would recognise. She could sympathise but she couldn't help him. There were no words that could take away that feeling.

Finally, he turned to face her and said flatly _"I must go back."_

Her heart sank, because she knew exactly what he was telling her. He didn't mean back to the ship, he meant to the war. He wanted to go and fight.

" _To fight a war that is already lost?"_ She shook her head _"It is pointless – "_

" _It may not be lost yet. The Shadow is not the only ship we have. There are other ships, other strongholds – "_

" _Did you suddenly lose your memory?"_ She threw up her hands _"You said yourself: if you go back there the least they are going to do is castrate you – if you are lucky! What if they decide to just have you executed before you even get a chance to lay a finger on the enemy!"_

" _I have to."_

" _And you are going to fight everyone on both sides by yourself?"_

" _No! I did not – that is not what I mean! Stop trying to confuse me!"_ He yanked off his mask in frustration.

" _Just think for a moment,"_ She said _"Think about what you are saying: even if they do not just take you prisoner, what can you do except die 'honourably'?"_ She spat the final word like a curse.

" _I have to do something!"_ His temper was beginning to get the better of him, she could see his hands balling up into fists _"I cannot just stay hiding on this primitive, backward planet while my clan is eradicated! What would you do if it was your species – every human to be exterminated forever? Would_ _ **you**_ _just sit there and let it be done?"_

" _As we both know,"_ She hissed _"Your species has exterminated plenty of mine, but see how_ _ **I**_ _am not killing_ _ **you**_ _right now."_

They stood glaring at each other – anger crackling in the air like electricity. Lex tried to be calm. His refusal to think logically infuriated her. The values that had been instilled in him his whole life meant that he couldn't, or wouldn't, be rational about certain things.

"He's already made up his mind." She thought, putting her hands over her mouth, breathing deeply "I could try to stop him going; maybe he'd listen to me. Even if he did, he'd hate me for it. But I can't let him go without me. He's a monster. Worse than that, he's an arrogant idiot, his sexual politics are a throwback to the primordial ooze! But… he did risk his life to come and help me."

She sighed _"You are determined to do this stupid thing?"_

He was knocked momentarily off kilter, not expecting her to give in so easily _"Obviously I do not want to leave you – "_

Her gaze didn't waver for an instant _"If you go, I am coming with you."_

" _WHAT?! Are you mentally defective? I cannot take you with me whilst you are in this condition!"_ He waved a hand at her stomach.

" _Well what were you planning to do?"_ She raised her eyebrows incredulously _"Just leave me here alone or dump me on some other planet? I did not know you placed such a high value on saving face - "_

" _Saving face?!"_ He growled, hackles rising again _"Is that what you think? Do you not see, you would be an easy target! I could not allow you to put yourself in such danger whilst you are carrying my offspring!"_

" _And what if you get killed?"_ She shot back at him, arms folded _"I would not even know! Do you think I would stand a better chance alone, pregnant with a half-alien baby? On the run!? I am coming with you."_

" _ **I told you I will not allow it!"**_ He roared at her, almost beyond hearing in the grip of his fury. She remained unperturbed. In the past his outbursts used to frighten her, but not any more. She knew he would never harm her whilst she was pregnant. It would have gone against everything he believed and she was confident that she was a match for him in any battle of wills.

" _I have never asked for your permission to do anything before,"_ She said, facing him calmly, not the least bit intimidated _"And I am not asking for it now. I am Sain'Ja. I am blooded, just as you are. I can go where I choose. If you want to command me you will have to fight me. Is that what you want S'Kia?"_

Fight her, whilst she was pregnant? He checked in horror at the suggestion, made all the more like a formal challenge because she'd used his real name _"You know I cannot…."_

He looked down into her unwavering black gaze and tried to think. On the one hand she would not oppose him going – but on the other she would not obey him either. This was not how females were meant to behave. Why was she being so maddeningly stubborn?

He paused. Wasn't that one of the things he liked about her; the way she stood her ground against him and other males despite her lesser size and strength? That's how he'd started out thinking of her, but somewhere along the line things had gotten tangled up. Now it was… complicated.

He wrestled down his own frustration, knowing she'd won _"You need not fight me."_ He said through clenched jaws _"You are right. I will not ... leave you behind. Come, if that is what you want. "_

" _It is."_ She said flatly.

" _But you will not endanger yourself."_ He stipulated, gripping her arm so tightly it was painful _"Not while you are pregnant. I forbid it."_

"You forbid it?" She echoed his words mockingly in English "I may be too pregnant to fight properly but we both know you are a moron who can't strategise worth a damn!" She leaned back against him and looked up provocatively "You _need_ me."

He ignored the insult and slid his arm around her. She always changed gears like this; took him to the peak of his rage and then, when he was all but crazed with fury, suddenly turned seductive. He knew the pattern but he found it impossible to resist _"You are a manipulative bitch."_

Her smile widened _"What was it you said before, 'talk is futile'? I want you to show me that we are friends again."_

" _Now?! Have you forgotten my clan are being wiped out? The ship is overgrown with plants. I have to go and clear out the exhaust ducts before we can even take off."_

" _But it is dark now, leave that until morning."_ She said slyly, running the tip of one finger down the inside of his forearm _"So you have all night to make it up to me. And once we set out, it will be some time before I let you make it up to me again. If we do not want the others to know…"_

His eyes fluoresced in the dim, red light and he leaned over her, all thoughts of war temporarily wiped from his mind.

* * *

In the end, it took Scar just a little over ten hours to prepare the shuttle. It had been sitting in the jungle so long it almost looked like part of the foliage. Huge vines had wound their way around the body of the ship. A few stray tendrils had even wormed their way into the ducts, despite his periodic efforts to keep them out. The stanchions needed to be dug up too where they'd sunk into the wet soil. She tried to help him but in the end she gave up, ground down by the sweltering heat and by his repeated insistence that she should not be putting herself under any physical strain.

She supposed he had a point but she couldn't help feeling frustrated and useless. She wasn't accustomed to being so physically incapable. Contrary to his jokes about sleeping she had spent a lot of time walking and running – she drew the line at climbing – but even at this late stage in her pregnancy her active nature meant she'd kept in pretty good shape. Now she had to admit he was right to try and stop her. She was getting heavier and moving was becoming increasingly awkward. In the end it was easier to just let him get on with it.

Once the craft was free, he stood at the console, covered in so much mud, sweat and leaf mould that he looked like the newly risen dead. He was using the shuttles computer to run checks on the engine and life-support systems. Everything seemed still to be intact. Lex watched his hands closely, trying to get him explain things to her as he went along. She still found the hieroglyphs difficult to understand but she was determined to crack it for reasons of her own.

" _You do not have to worry about all this,"_ He frowned at her eventually, irritated by her constant questions _"I will take care of it."_

" _And what if something happens to you? Like getting stabbed or shot?"_ She indicated with a fingertip the relevant scars on his torso where old injuries had healed up _"Am I supposed to just drift through space forever, mourning you?"_

" _Have I ever been so badly injured that I could not come to your assistance?"_ He said, clearly trying to provoke her.

" _Yes, several times."_ She didn't smile _"And I want to be able to fly the shuttle so that next time I can leave you behind to die a stupidly honourable death, as you have always wished."_

" _You would never leave me behind!"_ He laughed his guttural laugh, deafeningly loud inside the metal walls of the cockpit _"You do not want me dead!"_

" _Not until I can fly this shuttle."_ She said coolly.

He grinned _"You know you could not live without me – "_

" _I do not think anyone is as fond of yourself as you are."_ He continued to snigger evilly as she slapped him on the arm in irritation, wiping the dirt off on her leg absent-mindedly. _"Now show me how this damn thing works. I already understand some of it and I will not be any use if I cannot fight_ _ **or**_ _fly."_

" _If you insist,"_ He leaned over the console _"You remember that this panel is navigation and this controls life support?_

She nodded _"I remember."_

" _You can vary the cockpit temperature and control the processor on the air-recycling unit."_ He continued _"If you look at your wrist control you see the two symbols are the same."_

" _Recycled air?"_ Her lips curled back in distaste.

" _Do you think we have room to carry huge tanks full of air?"_ He asked sarcastically _"Humans! You are so ignorant. Even on the Shadow the air is – was – recycled, but the processor is bigger."_

" _How do I steer it?"_ She asked, still not rising to the bait.

" _You will not need to, unless the navigation system goes down or the shuttle comes under attack. The autopilot will do that. You just need to know how to programme in the destination."_

" _But you are able to fly it manually?"_

" _Of course!"_

" _Then show me how,"_ She insisted _"I want to be able to do everything you can do."_

" _That will take too long!"_ He protested _"We have to leave as soon as possible."_

" _Are you saying you are not able to teach me?"_ She said mockingly _"You know I am smarter than you, I can learn quickly."_

" _No I did not say that. I am sure that I can…"_ She could tell he was offended, as he always was when she questioned his ability to do anything. His heavy brow drew down even further _"But I cannot wait for you to learn before we can leave! You will have to pick it up as we go along."_

" _Fine!"_ She slid into the pilot seat _"When do I take off?"_

" _You do not."_ He leaned over, intending to heave her out of the chair _"I will do it – you can watch."_

"Get your filthy claws off me!"She held out her hands to fend him off _"_ No seriously, you're disgusting! Go and rinse some of that muck off you. You stink worse than usual!"

" _I did not know you were so delicate,"_ He let her go and stalked ill temperedly to the door _"Have it your way. Do NOT touch the controls."_

" _Worried I am going to leave you here?"_ She called after him. She didn't catch his reply but it sounded gratifyingly obscene.

When he returned she was still sitting in the pilots seat and gave him a broad smile. He shook his head and sat down in the co-pilot chair, crossing his long legs in an attitude of relaxation _"You are sure you can do this?"_

" _You are not?"_ She fluttered her eyes at him, still smiling.

" _I am confident that you will surprise me!"_ He pointedly pulled the straps of the safety harness across his body _"But I have always enjoyed a challenge – start the engines."_

She nodded, strapped herself in and flipped the switch.

* * *

After a week on the shuttle Lex was starting to get used to the controls. It was as Scar had said; the autopilot did most of the work if you let it. She tried to spend as much time as she could piloting manually anyway – determined that she would be reasonably competent before they encountered anyone else. She slept at odd hours in any case. The baby would not often let her sleep for very long.

Sometimes, when she looked at him it amazed her that she was able to carry it at all. Aside from their larger size, the hunters had thicker bones, tougher skin, denser muscle – sometimes it felt as if she were lugging a bowling ball around inside her. Anyway, it made sense for them to take it in shifts, monitoring the controls. The craft had four small sleeping compartments, a tiny wet room and a medi-pod – a capsule where injured hunters could convalesce or just lie in an induced coma for the duration of the journey home. The cockpit was by far the biggest room. The confinement was making her listless.

She was sitting with her feet up on the console, idly studying the alien hieroglyphs on the screen when an icon lit up with a chirruping noise. She knew enough now to understand that it was a message alert. It was the same as when they'd received the news about the Shadow.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, clicking the button to display the message. It was a distress call; that much was obvious to her. She could decipher co-ordinates. She was about to use the intercom to wake Scar when he came silently up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, already alerted by the noise. She tilted her head back to look at him.

" _Someone is trying to contact us?"_ He asked lazily _"You should have told me."_

" _I was about to,"_ She stretched _"I did not think we were within coms distance of your planet."_

" _We are not,"_ He slid into the other chair and tapped a control _"We are being hailed by another ship."_

" _Friendly?"_

" _It is one of ours,"_ He contemplated the hieroglyphs for a moment _"I think… it is the Penumbra: one of the smaller shuttles from the Shadow."_

" _I thought it was totally destroyed."_ She shot a quick glance at him.

" _It seems not."_ He frowned _"They are not far from here, but their engines are damaged, weapons too."_

" _Are we going to answer it?"_

" _Of course."_ He started programming in the co-ordinates.

"I hope you have your explanation all worked out!"She sat back in the chair, gazing down at her swollen abdomen and sighed "What in God's name are we going to tell them?"

" _Nothing."_ He said flatly _"Whoever is left alive on that shuttle we cannot let them know the truth."_

"What?!" She spat "Have you thought about this even for a second? How the hell can we keep this a secret when the moment they lay eyes on me – "

" _They can know you are pregnant, they do not have to know who is responsible,"_ Scar cut off her attempts at argument with a wave of one hand _"Do not dispute with me, there is no way we can go back on board if they know I have inseminated you. Your life would be worth nothing."_

"And what about when they see it, they might guess!"

" _I will think of something before then! Until then nobody can know."_

"Well so far your plan fucking sucks!" She shouted at him.

" _Do you have a better idea?"_ He roared back.

Lex pushed her hair back with one hand and sighed in frustration, gazing up at the ceiling _"And if they do not believe you, what then?"_

" _Our scanners say their weapons are inoperative, we are armed and they are not."_ He said, regaining some of his calm _"If they want to give us trouble we can always just destroy them."_

She laughed and then saw his expression. "You wouldn't!" Her eyes widened in surprise. He silently continued tapping at buttons, checking fuel supplies and ammunition.

As they drew nearer to the source of the signal she grew apprehensive. What would seeing his own kind do to him? She sat in the pilot's chair, nervously twisting a strand of her hair between her fingertips. He gave out like he didn't care, but she suspected it would be a different story when he was actually eye to eye with them.

Then they saw the Penumbra. It had drifted into the orbit of a small dead planetoid and was surrounded by a floating belt of asteroids and debris. Lex had to concentrate to avoid colliding with the floating detritus. The shuttle looked like it had been struck by several of them, but there were also scorch marks along its side. When they were within visual coms distance he hailed the other ship. They were both stunned to see the grim face of Nar'Jat flicker into focus on the screen. The picture was flickering and grainy, but nonetheless she could see that he was gaunt and the interior of the shuttle behind him looked dark and chaotic. Lex wondered how long the ship had been drifting out here, helpless in the asteroid belt. She kept her face expressionless, even at a distance she still found the head of the council intimidating but knew better than to show it. The clan leader's eyes narrowed.

" _S'Kia,"_ Nar'Jat sounded less than pleased to see them _"So you have decided to remember where your duty lies. You have certainly waited long enough."_

" _I am here now."_ Scar said neutrally _"What is your status?"_

" _We have taken battle-damage and our engines are dead, the life support systems are also damaged. We have diverted almost all our auxiliary power to keep them running. They continue to function… for now,"_ Nar'Jat gave a sigh, as if describing something that was merely an annoyance rather than life-threatening _"But I think they will not last very long."_

" _How many are you?"_

" _Only three of us are left alive and we are all wounded."_

" _You are all that survive?"_ Scar frowned.

" _Others may have escaped but we have been unable to contact them."_

" _Do you know who attacked us? How was the Shadow destroyed?"_

Nar'Jat was about to answer him when Khurshad, the second most senior member of the council, moved into view on the screen.

" _S'Kia, you filthy, despicable traitor!"_ He spat _"I knew we should have executed you when we had the chance!"_

" _Fortunate for you that you did not,"_ Scar raised his brows at him _"Or I would have considerable difficulty in answering your distress beacon."_

" _Enough of your insolence!"_ Khurshad looked ready to explode with rage at being addressed this way _"Get us off this burned out wreck and the council may decide to spare your miserable life!"_

" _You_ _ **may**_ _spare my life?"_ Scar asked incredulously, allowing one mandible to curl up in scorn _"You are hardly in a position to make threats or grant favours."_

Nar'Jat gave a warning snarl to silence them both _"S'Kia, do not be foolish. You must be aware that you have behaved dishonourably. You stole the shuttle, you deserted the clan – though I also see you managed to bring the ooman Sain'Ja back with you. You must have gone to the ooman planet despite not having permission to do so. In other circumstances I would not hesitate to have you exterminated. You are not worthy to count yourself a RoughSkull."_

Scar snorted _"If you want me to help you why do you not just ask instead of wasting time paying me compliments?"_

" _ **If**_ _I want you to help me?"_ Nar'Jat raised his brows in surprise _"I had not realised the matter was in any doubt."_

Scar regarded the head of the clan calculatingly for a moment before replying. _"If we help you, there will be a price."_

" _A price? Are you a "_ merchant" _now?"_ Nar'Jat managed to inject all possible scorn and acid into the human word (Yautja did not have a word for it as their society was not based on commerce but he understood the concept). The clan leader was becoming irritated, though his composure didn't waver _"What considerations could outweigh your loyalty to the clan?"_

Scar was unfazed _"I simply want to make the terms clear. I require something a little more than a sense of righteous satisfaction that you are pleased with me."_

" _You will be allowed the privilege of serving your clan and to prove your allegiance to us! What more can you expect?"_ Khurshad broke in.

" _I want certain guarantees from you, namely that you will not pursue a death sentence against us – against either of us. Otherwise…."_ He shook his mane in a shrug and spread his talons, indicating that the matter would be out of his hands.

" _You would not dare!"_ Khurshad spat _"To hold the two most senior members of the council to ransom to gain safety for your worthless skin -_ "

" _Not just mine,"_ Scar said calmly _"Lexssssss is currently gestating young, she has asked for my protection and I have granted it to her. So you see… I really could not come to any agreement with you unless she was guaranteed freedom from punishment as well. Some measure of safe conduct."_

She stood up so that both council members could see her pregnant stomach. Nar'Jat and Khurshad stared, on the screen both of them visibly drew back in superstitious horror.

Khurshad leaned forward still not speaking directly to her _"S'Kia if you think it is in any way acceptable to bring a spawning ooman female onto the ship with us then you are clearly more deranged even than the rumours say! The clan will not allow itself to be polluted with the creeping, decadent taint of an inferior species. It is beneath any semblance of honour. I would kill her – pregnant or not – before I let her set foot on board!"_

" _Then we have reached a deadlock."_ Scar said, deathly quiet _"There is nothing more to discuss."_ He reached for the button that would terminate the conversation.

Lex looked over at him, amazed and relieved that his loyalties lay ultimately with her, but if he was set on going back to the clan she didn't want him to throw away such a golden opportunity to win back their favour.

He obviously felt he couldn't be seen to be flexible, but perhaps she could.

"I'll bet that if Nar'Jat were on that ship alone, this conversation would be over by now." She thought quickly "And he will be the one who decides. Everyone is afraid of him even though he isn't that big – Khurshad is bigger, but Nar'Jat is more ruthless. He doesn't care so much about honour, he will do what is necessary. It wouldn't hurt to leave the door open a little while longer, give them time to think about their options. If they still refuse, we lose nothing. Besides, it also won't do any harm to show them that I'm not a pet."

" _Wait!"_ She said, putting a restraining hand on Scar's wrist _"I think they need time to decide. Why do we not leave them to discuss it for a while?"_

" _One unit then, to consider."_ He agreed grudginglyand pushed the button, blinking off their outraged faces before either one could respond.

" _Khurshad is not likely to change his mind."_ He told her, spikey brow drawing down _"He would rather die out here. He is….traditional."_

" _How is it that when you say 'traditional' I hear 'stupid'."_ She asked, he gave a reluctant smirk _"Anyway,"_ she continued _"I do not think he will have the casting vote. I imagine Nar'Jat will decide."_ She tapped her teeth with a fingernail.

" _He will not like it either – having his hand forced in this way."_ He still looked dubious.

" _He is realistic."_ She argued _"He wants to get off that shuttle, get back to the clan and fight this war. I think he will do what he has to. And Khurshad will do what Nar'Jat tells him."_

They didn't have to wait long to find out. A little while later she saw they were being hailed again. She leaned on the console and pressed the control to accept the transmission. Nar'Jat's face confronted them, she noticed that Khurshad was conspicuous by his absence.

" _Very well S'Kia."_ He said wearily _"There will not be any punishment for you or your ooman pet – the death sentence against you both is revoked. Get us off this ship, now."_

" _Of course."_ Scar resisted the urge to show his satisfaction too openly _"You have life suits?"_

" _Yes, but the airlock will not open and we have no tools. The shuttle was not prepared when we left… and all power we can produce is needed to run life support."_

" _Put them on. We have tools. I can cut it from the outside - but it will take time. Will your life support systems hold out?"_

" _If they do not"_ Nar'Jat's voice was heavy with irony _"We will perhaps see you in oblivion."_

The screen went blank as he ended the transmission and then turned to her _"Whatever it looks like, I just hope our offspring inherits your intelligence."_ He purred, finally letting the triumphant grin spread across his face _"How did you know they would agree?"_

"Just a hunch." Her expression darkened for a moment _"Do you think we can trust them?"_

" _I trust no-one."_ He said _"Especially not you and your diabolical female cunning."_

" _Be serious. What is to stop Khurshad carrying out his threat once he is on board?"_

" _Me."_ He said, then after a moments consideration added _"And you. And they have given us their word. I think Khurshad will keep it, he puts too much stock in honour to do otherwise. But Nar'Jat… I think he will keep it as long as we are of use to him."_

" _We had better start being useful then."_ She said _"How do we get them off that ship?"_

" _That is where is becomes complicated."_ He went back further into the ship's recesses and pressed a button on a small control pad. A panel of the wall to slid open. He pulled out clothes, helmets and breathing equipment and, of course, more weapons.

" _We are not going out into space?"_ She breathed, heart sinking. The thought of it filled her with both terror and excitement. She remembered once, in a moment of boredom, standing pressed up against the viewing window of the sleeping quarters on the Shadow, staring down into space as if from a cliff edge. She was used to heights but the feeling of dizziness as she stared into the never-ending nothingness had been almost overwhelming. Worse still, no matter which direction she looked in there was an infinite drop, giving her the strange experience of multi-directional vertigo. Then, it had been thrilling. She knew she wasn't going to fall, but outside the ship…

" _ **We**_ _are not – but_ _ **I**_ _am. You must stay here in case you need to pilot the shuttle. I think you are competent now to be trusted alone with the controls."_

" _But is it a good idea for you to go out there alone?"_ She said uneasily, ignoring the dig.

He looked up when he heard her tone _"Do not worry. We are a space-going species. I have done this before, many times."_

" _Rescued the council from a burned out shuttle in the middle of a warzone?"_

" _No, gone off-ship – into space."_ He explained patiently _"It is not difficult."_

" _Can we not just somehow tow their ship to another planet?"_ She hazarded.

He made a derisive clicking noise, already stripping off his armour and discarding various bits of weaponry onto the floor _"And how would we land, hmmmm? If their engines are dead they would not be able to do anything once they entered the atmosphere but go into free fall and smash into the ground, taking us with them. Plus we are still days away from our destination, we do not want to be dragging the extra weight. It would be a waste of fuel and, in that time, their life support systems would most likely fail."_

Their spacesuits turned out to be a thicker, tougher, version of the bodysuit she wore: a skin-tight, black, one-piece costume with long sleeves and gloves, covered in lightweight armour plating. The helmet had a smooth, curved visor at the front and the back strangely elongated and tapering, presumably so that the mass of snakelike locks they all wore could fit inside. For a second she was puzzled, unable to put her finger on what it reminded her of but, once he put it on, it suddenly clicked: "He looks like a bug." She thought "That suit makes him look like a taller, more heavyset version of a bug!"

The headgear was even shaped to look like it had teeth under the visor. The overall effect was unnerving.

"It's horrible but …" She smiled "striking."

" _It is like being squeezed all over,"_ He wriggled and stretched uncomfortably, pulling the helmet off again and grinning at her, mandibles spread _"But it scares the shit out of our enemies!"_

" _I can see why."_ She pulled the helmet out of his grasp, holding it up to inspect it. She couldn't see through it. The glass, or whatever it was, was reflective.

" _I will have coms, but only with you to begin with."_ He said motioning her over to the console _"So I need you to be my link with the other ship. If I need to speak to Nar'Jat it will have to be through you. The ship's scanners say they are using all their remaining power to keep their life support running. Their airlock is damaged so I will have to cut through. I can open our airlock with my wrist-com but if anything goes wrong you will have to help me. "_

" _What could go wrong?"_ She tried not to show the panic she felt at the thought of the howling nothingness outside the flimsy, metal shell.

" _If my controls stop working, or my suit gets damaged – or if we are attacked. I need you to keep watch for any hostile ships. You know how to do this?"_

In answer she flicked the switch the brought up the scanner screen and then pressed another which bisected it with the display of the outside of the shuttle.

He nodded, and took the tool kit and plasma-cannon, fastening the holster firmly into the belt of his suit. He picked up another wicked-looking piece of equipment – a big gun with a grappling magnet attached to a chain – and hefted it up to his shoulder. It looked like some kind of industrial tool and must have weighed a ton, she doubted a human could even have lifted it.

" _What is that for?"_ She asked _"Do I even want to know?"_

" _Boarding other ships!"_ He said with gleeful relish _"But I have never had an excuse to use it before. Do you know how to operate our weapons systems?"_

" _Trust me."_ She said _"Just try not to get killed."_

He took the helmet, jaws spread in a grin again as he looked down at her _"You finally admit that you cannot live without me, infernal creature?"_

She raised an eyebrow _"Put your helmet on, before your head becomes too swollen to fit inside it."_

Still smirking in a conceited fashion, he pulled it on and stepped into the airlock.

* * *

Scar pushed the button that activated his magnetic boots. As the outer lock hissed open, he felt the pressure change and gravity release its grip on him. He stepped out of the hatch, trying to get used to the way the boots sucked at his feet. It took a moment or two for him to become re-accustomed to the sensation of being weightless. It had been a long time since he'd been out in space.

He clung to the side of the shuttle for a moment, considering the other ship. They were near enough. He hefted the grappling gun and took aim at their hull. When he pulled the trigger, the grapple shot out – the chain snaking along behind it – and the powerful electro-magnet affixed itself to the metal. Of course, if he'd been using it against an enemy ship he could have used the explosives in the grapple to simply blow a hole in the side of the craft. Despite being sorely tempted to pay Khurshad back for his insulting behaviour, he resisted.

" _By the bitch goddess I enjoy using this gun!"_ He thought, clamping the other end of the chain to the hull of the Umbra _"If we do decide not to go back to the clan, piracy might not be such a bad idea."_

He switched off the magnetism in his boots and began to pull himself along the chain across the nothingness towards the Penumbra, clicking softly in the back of his throat.

" _Having fun?"_ The masks intercom crackled in his ear.

" _Should you not be watching the scanner?"_

" _I am watching it,"_ she said _"But I can hear you, purring."_

He laughed at this as he reached the other ship. Reactivating the boots, he anchored himself securely alongside the hatchway of their airlock.

" _I am at the Penumbra,"_ He said to Lex over the intercom _"Tell Nar'Jat I am about to start cutting through their outer lock. It will take me a while."_

He pulled out the laser cutter and began slicing into the lock, the intense heat causing the metal to behave strangely as it melted and liquefied. He took care to avoid the few burning-hot droplets that floated free, trying not to think about what would happen if one of them touched him. Fortunately, he knew they would cool quickly in the freezing temperatures of space.

It seemed to take forever to cut through the thick alloy. He'd been hoping that when he was through it might simply slide open but the hatch remained obstinately shut. When the liquid metal had cooled he pulled a leverbar from his belt and inserted it in the divide between the sliding panels of the door and pried it open further. Once it was big enough he put his fingers into the gap and pulled. It didn't seem to want to give. He anchored his feet more comfortably on the side of the ship and wrenched at it with both hands, the muscles in his shoulders and arms straining to force the doors apart. Once he'd made a body-sized gap, he slipped through into their airlock.

" _I am through the outer door,"_ He said _"Warn them to find something to hold onto. I am going to start on the inner door. Once it is breached the pressure will equalise and the air will rush out. But they should know this."_

He took up the laser cutter again and started the slow process of melting through the locking mechanism.

Lex watched him on the screen, clinging to the side of the other shuttle like a huge, black spider. She could see the dim red light of the laser cutter winking across the distance.

"He's such a big kid," She thought "I'll bet he's loving this."

Once she heard him say he was through she turned to look at Nar'Jat whose face was pictured in one corner of the screen.

" _S'Kia says he is through."_ she told him _"He is starting on the inner door now. Suit up and secure yourselves for when it opens."_

The clan leader acknowledged her – barely – then put on his own space helmet so that now she was only looking at the mirrored visor, reflecting the Penumbra's screen display, her own face in miniature.

She magnified the view of the exterior so that she could just see Scar inside the airlock, dimly silhouetted in the feeble light of the laser. It had been just over an hour. Sitting back in the chair she sighed. She was massaging her back absent-mindedly, trying to ease the tension in her spine, when she noticed a tiny blip on the scanner. Her blood congealed in her veins, another craft – and she had a feeling it would not be one of theirs. That would just be too much of a coincidence.

" _Scar?"_ She said _"You had better hurry, the scanner has picked up another ship."_

" _One of ours?"_ He asked.

" _Too far away to be sure,"_ She tried to zero in on the signal but it was still too distant _"My guess is not. Are you going to come back?"_

" _I am about halfway through this door,"_ He said, after a moment _"I am going as fast as I can. If they get too close before I am back, shoot them down."_

She nodded to herself and touched the weapon control. The targeting system sprang up on the screen. She settled back to wait.

* * *

When Scar estimated he was almost through the inner door he paused to assess his situation. Once the inner chamber was breached, the out-rushing air would push him backwards and he didn't want to be thrown out into space. His boots should give him enough traction to prevent it but just in case… he tested his safety leash. He was fastened securely onto the grapple, which in turn was anchored tightly to the hull of the Penumbra.

He finally managed to penetrate the lock and got out the lever, sticking the laser cutter back in its holster. He inserted the thin end into the slit between the doors, braced himself against the inner door frame and heaved. As he pried a small gap in the doors, he was thrown back against the wall – flattened by the force of a sudden hurricane, rushing out through the thin opening.

He held on, waiting for the pressure to equalise. There was no point in continuing until all the air in the vessel was gone. When the gale had dwindled to nothing he levered the door open further. It was stiffer than the outer one. It took him a while even to widen the thin gap enough to get his fingers into it. Once he could get a grip he began to pull, the effort causing sweat to start out on his skin inside the suit.

" _Hurry up!"_ Lex's voice sounded anxious over the intercom _"The other craft is getting nearer. In a few minutes they will be within firing distance."_

Another pair of thickly gloved hands appeared through the gap, gripping the door. Together they forced them back until he was face-to-face with another black suited apparition. He guessed it must be Khurshad. He was too tall to be Nar'Jat and had obviously been wounded more seriously than Scar had thought. The strain of opening the door had left him panting for breath. At this distance, without the interference of the thick metal door he thought he should be able to speak to them through the helmet's radio.

" _Khurshad?"_ He hazarded _"Is that you?"_

" _Yes."_

Scar looked past him and saw another figure – this one was the clan leader. His small stature and the set of his shoulders was unmistakeable.

" _You said there were three of you,"_ He said _"Where is the other?"_

" _He is unconscious."_ Nar'Jat stepped forward, his movements showed that he was weak, even pulling himself to the airlock looked like an effort _"…. Get him for me S'Kia."_

He nodded. Though they would never admit it openly, it dawned on him that neither of the older males was strong enough to carry an unconscious body, even weightless in space. The realisation made him feel slightly odd. It was humiliating for any yautja to admit to weakness. _"Their lives are entirely in my power,"_ He thought _"I could kill all three of them and they have not the strength to resist."_

Aloud he said _"Where is he?"_

" _Back there in the cockpit,"_ Nar'Jat jerked his head to indicate the space behind him _"We strapped him into the pilot seat so that he would not be sucked into space when you opened the door. He is unconscious."_

He nodded again _"Make your way back to the ship and hurry, another craft approaches."_

As they began to make their way along the chain back to the Umbra he unclipped his safety leash and slipped through the gap into the cockpit of the Penumbra. He saw the slumped shape in the pilot's chair in the dim, flickering light that was all the auxiliary power could provide. Bits of detritus floated past in the strange stillness of the vacuum, the utter silence making the figure seem almost peaceful – as if sleeping. Quickly, Scar unfastened the safety harness, the lack of gravity making it easy to pull the unconscious figure upright. After a moment's thought he took the other male's safety leash and wound it round his waist, finally tying the wrists together so he could loop them around his neck.

"Scar! What the hell are you doing?" Lex said sharply in his ear "That ship is almost on top of us! Khurshad and Nar'Jat are nearly at our airlock. Get your ass back here right now!"

Scar hoisted the weightless body up without much difficulty and went quickly to the airlock, squeezing out through the gap into space. He began to pull himself along the chain as fast as he could. He couldn't yet see the enemy vessel but that didn't mean they weren't close. Ahead of him Khurshad and Nar'Jat were moving slowly towards the Umbra, much too slowly for his liking.

* * *

Lex saw the first of the black-suited figures reach the door and pressed the control to open the outer lock. On the scanner screen, the little red dot was moving ever closer. At this distance it was obvious that it was not one of theirs. She bit her lip anxiously, one hand hovering by the weapons control. "At least there's only one," she thought "But why is it alone, a scout ship perhaps?"

When Nar'Jat was also inside the airlock she shut the outer door and opened the inner to let them in. Scar was still only halfway across the gap but carrying the unconscious body was restricting his movements, slowing him down. When the two most senior members of the council dragged themselves into the cockpit, she was shocked to see how weakened they were. Nar'Jat in particular seemed to be almost unable to stand. She wondered how much of it was through injury and how much was deprivation.

She turned her attention back to the screen and the remaining black shape, difficult to spot against the total blackness of space. Scar was almost at the airlock but he wasn't going to get there before the enemy ship reached them. She shut the inner lock and opened the outer in readiness.

" _We must move,"_ She heard Khurshad say behind her _"We are a sitting target."_

" _No."_ She didn't look at him but shook her head _"We have to wait until they get back inside."_

" _Did you not hear me, ooman?"_ Khurshad staggered forward. He had pulled his helmet off and was glaring at her _"If we do not move, we will all die."_ He made to touch the controls.

" _Did_ _ **you**_ _not hear_ _ **me**_ _?"_ In an instant she had unsheathed her dah'tke, looking him straight in the eye _"Touch the console and I will cut off your hand!"_

He stared at her in amazement, stunned into silence for a moment at being threatened from such an unexpected quarter. There was no mistaking the seriousness in her eyes. She would do it.

" _If you think that I will hesitate,"_ She said quietly _"Just ask D'Kand."_

* * *

As Scar finally laid a hand on the side of the shuttle he saw the other ship. It screeched down towards them out of the blackness, a sleek, predatory shape that blotted out the stars.

" _I am at the airlock,"_ he said into his radio _"Get us out of here"._

He just had time to anchor his feet to the side of the ship when the craft started to turn to face the threat. There was a groaning noise and a jolt as the chain linking them to the Penumbra snapped taught. Cursing himself for forgetting they were still anchored to the other ship he stretched out his arm to try and reach the power switch on the grapple, it was just beyond his finger tips. Clinging on for dear life he edged his feet along the wall and stretched out again. The engines roared as their craft struggled to pull the extra weight. With the tip of a talon he just managed to flip it and the demagnetised grapple sprang loose. Suddenly freed the Umbra surged forward, almost shaking him clear off the wall.

At that moment the enemy vessel swept past, strafing them with plasma fire. The glowing matter raked along the side of the shuttle, burning blackened track marks along the metal hull but, as the Umbra was swinging round to return fire, they missed their primary target: the engines. They only narrowly missed hitting Scar and the unconscious male. He couldn't do much except hang on grimly, not wanting to risk letting go to dodge.

As the enemy ship shot past and began to turn he decided he'd spent enough time outside. He began to crawl back along the wall towards the opening, arms trembling with exertion. As the other ship wheeled round and came back for another shot he hooked one leg around the door frame of the airlock, followed by an arm. Forces sucked at him as he fought to pull himself through the doorway.

The other ship wheeled round and came back for another shot. As he managed to clear the hatchway he saw another barrage of plasma coming from the Umbra, smacking into the side of the enemy craft.

Without waiting to see what happened next he slammed the button that closed the outer lock and stood holding onto the wall – gasping for breath. As the lock hissed shut his legs almost buckled. The returning gravity suddenly made him aware of the weight of the unconscious body he was carrying.

As the inner lock opened he collapsed into the cockpit, red lights flashing across his vision. Before he could recover, the ship lurched and he heard the cannons fire again. He and the comatose male slid across the floor, almost colliding with Nar'Jat.

" _Their engines are disabled!"_ She heard Khurshad's voice _"Finish them off!"_

" _Stop giving me orders!"_ Lex punched the controls – took aim at the other craft and fired, hitting their main engine. On the screen, the enemy vessel exploded in a ball of flame and debris. Immediately when she saw the ship destroyed her head whipped round, heart hammering. Scar was lying on the floor. From the way he'd fallen through the hatch she'd wondered if he'd been shot.

Terrified as she was, she knew it would be extremely unwise to express any emotion at all. The other two would despise her for being weak and him for tolerating it. She made herself sit calmly in the chair. He was swearing and trying to disentangle himself from the safety leash that tied him to the insensible body, so she guessed he was probably fine. He finally pushed himself into sitting position and pulled his helmet off, squinting up at her.

The impassive mask might convince the other two, but he was not fooled. In the past year, he'd learned to see the tiny facial tics that gave away her distress and he spread his jaws again infuriatingly. Clearly he was gratified to think she had been worried about him.

Ignoring the piercing glares of the other two he pulled at the leash again, finally succeeding in uncoiling it from around himself. Then he looked down at the black suited shape lying face-down next to him and turned the body over onto its back. Whoever it was, he was a total dead-weight. Out cold.

"Is he even alive?" She frowned.

He shrugged, shaking his head, and then put a hand on either side of the black helmet and pulled it off. For a second both of them froze, staring down at the familiar face in astonishment. Scar's jaws hung open, yellow eyes wide with surprise.

" _R'Zuul!?"_ He said.


	12. Chapter 12

" _I do not understand,"_ Scar put his hands on his head in frustration and turned to face Nar'Jat, who was sitting in the co-pilot's chair. It had been an hour or two whilst the two senior hunters patched themselves up with the Umbra's medical supplies and had some of their food and water. From what Nar'Jat said they hadn't drunk or eaten in the whole time they'd been out here. They'd done what they could for R'Zuul and put him in the medi-pod, hoping he might regain consciousness. Lex remained in the pilot seat trying not to yawn. She felt like she had been awake for days.

" _How did they manage to catch you all totally unawares?"_ Scar asked again.

" _I do not know myself,"_ Nar'Jat shook his head _"They must have developed some kind of stealth technology more advanced than our own. It can only have been that which allowed them to evade detection by our sensors."_

" _Then how come we could see their shuttle?"_ Scar seemed puzzled.

" _I am not sure,"_ Nar'Jat looked thoughtful _"Strictly speaking we are in their territory right now, although it is disputed and a distant arm. Maybe they did not feel they needed to disguise themselves."_

" _And so they wiped out everyone?"_

" _I believe it is possible others may have got out."_ Nar'Jat rubbed his injured arm _"But we only just managed to escape."_

Lex rubbed her temples with her fingers _"Who attacked the ship?"_

" _Have you heard nothing we say ooman?"_ Khurshad growled at her _"The Bad Blood Clan attacked us – the filth want to exterminate us all!"_

" _But why? Who are they?"_ She met his eyes, which narrowed with dislike.

" _They are a bigger race than we are, stronger."_ Scar told her _"They believe we are….inferior, a lesser species. Sometimes… "_ He trailed off into silence, from his expression she could see he was uncertain how to continue. He looked uncomfortable, not an expression he often adopted _"Sometimes… they hunt us."_ he finished.

" _Hunt you?"_ She was about to smile but she stopped herself as she saw how mortified he was by the admission.

" _She does not need to know every shameful thing!"_ Khurshad burst out angrily.

Scar shrugged _"Keeping shameful things secret does not make them any less true."_

" _Shouting about them does not make them any less shameful!"_

" _They will try to take our planets of tactical import next."_ Nar'Jat rumbled pointedly _"If they have not done so already."_

" _And it will take days to get there in this pile of junk!"_ Khurshad slammed a fist against the wall _"Not enough power in its engines to get up to a decent speed, even the long distance coms are slow. The Gods only know what slaughter they will have wreaked by the time we get back."_

Scar sauntered over to stand behind Lex's chair and rested his hands on the back of it, raising his brow at the senior hunter provokingly _"You are right Khurshad,"_ he said sarcastically _"Next time, I will be sure to steal a bigger shuttle."_

" _That is it!"_ The other turned on him furiously _"I have heard enough of your insolence, disgusting adolescent!"_

Scar bristled _"I have long since ceased to be an adolescent, or are your eyes failing you in your old age?"_ He said leaning forward and glowering menacingly at him over Lex's head when Nar'Jat snarled _"Silence, both of you! This conflict serves no purpose."_ The council leader's mandibles curled back in irritation _"We have many days before we will reach our destination."_

"Oh for the love of God," Lex thought "We have to stay locked up in here with those two pushing each others buttons for days? We'll be lucky if they don't wind up murdering each other in the next few hours!"

Hoping to calm Scar's temper or at least distract him, she said softly in English "I think I might go and lie down for a while, I am tired."

He caught her tone, and forgot all about the argument, as she had known he would.

Khurshad, who didn't speak human language apart from a handful of words, was oblivious but he clearly had the same idea as he snorted and stalked off in the direction of the sleeping pods. Scar didn't even notice him leave.

Out of the corner of her eye she suddenly caught a glimpse of Nar'Jat watching their little exchange. She cursed herself as she remembered that the clan leader spoke English too, spoke it as well as Scar did if not better. She just hoped that maybe he didn't know her well enough to catch her intonation.

The same thing must have occurred to Scar at the same time, because his face went carefully blank. She hoped Nar'Jat had not seen the expression it had replaced.

" _On second thoughts, I can take the first watch."_ She said _"You go and sleep if you want to."_

He frowned – debating with himself for a moment – in the end he obviously decided it would look more suspicious to argue and left without saying anything. She could tell he didn't like leaving her alone with another male, especially not the leader of his clan. For a number of reasons she wholeheartedly agreed, but … what else could she do? She didn't want to leave him alone with Nar'Jat either in his current frame of mind.

She turned back to the console, settling down for the long watch. She was very aware of Nar'Jat, sitting absolutely still in the co-pilot's chair.

She hoped he couldn't tell how much he intimidated her. As long as it had been just her and Scar she could forget about the possible consequences for both of them, but sitting here with the head of the clan only a few feet away her mouth felt suddenly dry. "What if he guesses?" She thought apprehensively "What if he already _knows_?"

She stared determinedly at the screen, not even wanting to risk even a sideways glance at him. Then to her surprise, she heard him speak, in English "Are you frightened, ooman?"

" _No."_ She replied in his language, turning to look him directly in the eye _"Is there cause for me to fear?"_

He didn't answer, just tapped his talons on the arm of the chair for a few minutes.

" _You are blooded,"_ He said eventually _"Sain'Ja should feel no fear."_

She didn't answer, didn't want to get into a conversation. It was his intelligence that scared her. She didn't think she was in any immediate physical danger but if he started asking her awkward questions...

Nar'Jat assessed her thoughtfully, unhurriedly. He no longer seemed bothered by her pregnancy. He just didn't look at it, concentrating instead on her face. His gaze made her intensely uncomfortable but she knew she mustn't show it _"As you are blooded,"_ He croaked _"You do owe us your allegiance, just as S'Kia does. Had you forgotten this?"_

"No." She waited, forcing herself to sit still under his scrutiny. He seemed to be turning something over in his mind.

" _You do have some kind of influence on him ooman."_ He said finally.

Alarm bells rang in her ears when he said this and she dipped her head submissively.

" _Truly I do not know what you mean,"_ She said _"I have no influence at all. Everyone knows he listens to nobody, least of all me."_

" _Hmmmm."_ He did not sound convinced _"S'Kia has been a spine in my flesh recently. He has his uses occasionally but my tolerance has limits. Make sure he understands."_ It was not a request.

" _I will do as you ask… as far as it is in my limited power."_ She said still holding his eye, trying now to determine if he did know or had guessed something.

" _Your power, hmmmm."_ Nar'Jat echoed _"Yes ooman, do that. Use your power… whatever that may be. Keep him under control, or things will go very badly for him."_

She felt intensely uneasy now, but he suddenly turned away and stretched in the chair _"Now go away female,"_ He said _"Go away and sleep, I will take the first watch. Leave me in peace."_ She had been summarily dismissed.

* * *

In the dim corridor she paused, realising she didn't know which room Scar was in. The thought of walking in on Khurshad by mistake repelled her forcefully. R'Zuul was in the middle room – that left a choice of three. She was about the press the opening switch on the left hand door when she was grabbed from behind and dragged backwards into the darkness of one of the other chambers. She was about to start biting and kicking when Scar said quietly in her ear _"Wrong door."_

"Can't you just tap me on the shoulder?"She sighed in exasperation.

" _This way is more enjoyable,"_ He growled, gripping her more tightly to stop her breaking away _"What did Nar'Jat want?"_

"Nothing important." She twisted her head round awkwardly to look at him, unable to turn, puzzled as to why he was being so aggressive.

" _Then you can tell me,"_ He persisted _"What did he say to you?"_

"Why are you trying to piss Khurshad off?" She said "He was ready to go for you just now – and we've just got back on their good side."

He finally released her and she turned to face him "I will never be on… Khurrrrrrrrshad's good side," He slurred in English, mimicking her tone mockingly _"What do I care? He hates me and I think he is an imbecile."_

" _You should care."_ She said bluntly _"We came all the way here because you want to go back to your clan. Imbecile or not, he is part of your leadership. Why do you want to make him angry?"_

He shrugged _"It amuses me…. and_ _ **he**_ _made_ _ **me**_ _angry; insulting me, threatening you and then complaining after we saved his useless, ageing carcass from certain_

 _death. And do not try to evade my question: what did Nar'Jat say to you after I left?"_

" _I think he suspects something_ ," She said " _He did not tell me directly but he … asked me if I have influence over you_."

" _And you said…?"_

" _That I have none."_

" _Good. Tell him nothing."_ He said " _And that was all he said to you?"_

" _Why what else…."_ She began and then she stared at him incredulously _"Are you…. jealous?!"_

" _Of course."_ He said, as if it were obvious _"You must understand that if I see another male talking to you or even looking at you in a way that I do not like… I will rip his arms off. And maybe some other things as well."_

" _That is ridiculous!"_ She laughed in disbelief, the laughter dying on her lips as she saw his expression _"You are not serious!?"_

" _I am not joking."_ He said matter-of-factly _"Trust no-one. Speak to no-one. Except me."_

"Why don't you just lock me in your room?" She muttered bitterly "I might as well be your pet for real!"

" _I want to make sure you understand."_ He gripping her arms painfully and pulling her face close to his _"Your life would be forfeit if they know the truth."_

"In that case," She pulled free of his grasp "You had better put me down, I don't want to smell all hormonal. I need to sleep anyway."

He growled irritably and let her go.

" _You were the one who wanted to come and fight this war."_ She reminded him _"And remember this too – there is no point in fighting against both sides."_

He rubbed his jawbone _"It pains me to admit it, but you are right, infernal nuisance though you are."_ He said unhappily.

" _Of course I am."_ She smiled in the darkness.

* * *

It took them over a week to get back to anything resembling civilisation. It wouldn't be true to say that the trip was peaceful they at least managed to make it without bloodshed, although it was a close run thing once or twice.

In deference to her warning, Scar tried his best to refrain from antagonising Khurshad but there was a malicious streak in him that found it hard to resist baiting the older male.

At least he managed to control his own temper, even though enforced abstinence was making him more irritable than usual. He occasionally drove Khurshad apoplectic with rage, but _**he**_ always remained outwardly calm. Lex wasn't sure what Khurshad found more infuriating, his smart mouth or his unconcern. In all honesty she thought the senior hunter was deluding himself if he thought he could intimidate Scar. Physically they were about the same size – but Scar was not weakened by injury and more importantly he was younger. She knew who she'd have put her money on.

Fortunately for her sanity the two of them eventually managed to form an uneasy truce and by the time they were nearing their destination could almost speak civilly to one another.

Lex had, of course, seen a spaceship before but the thing they were approaching took her breath away. She sat in the pilot seat one hand on the controls, the other resting on her stomach, and watched it appear out of the gloom. It was visible first as a tiny glimmering speck in the distance but grew steadily until it loomed against the blackness; a vast dreadnought hanging in space.

"Whatever happens on that damn ship, I can't wait to get out of this stinking metal box!" She stretched and turned to look at Scar, who was lounging in the co-pilot seat, watching her handle the controls. They were alone. The older hunters were both sleeping. R'Zuul remained unconscious, despite anything they could do.

She knew it would be a relief to both of them to escape being in close confinement with the two older males, especially Nar'Jat. Every time she and Scar spoke to each other she saw him out of the corner of her eye, watching. Between the strain of keeping up the façade and the barely controlled antagonism between him and Khurshad the atmosphere was stretched so tense she could hardly bear it.

" _I know what you are thinking,"_ He looked at her gravely _"Do not be worried. I will not let anyone harm you."_ From his tone it was clear that it was something that had been pressing on his mind.

" _Worry? Why would I worry? I am not frightened."_ She said with more confidence than she felt _"I know what an ill-tempered son-of-a-bitch you can be. Plus I have insurance."_ She glanced down at the armour-piercing pulse rifle that she'd taken from Galton where it leaned against her chair _"Anyone who wants trouble is going to get it, good and hard."_

" _They will not let you carry that openly once we are onboard."_

" _Of course they will."_ She said sweetly _"They can hardly bring themselves to speak to me now that I am pregnant. Besides everyone knows how irrational pregnant females can be."_

He looked at her for a moment to see if she was joking, and then laughed _"I do not believe you have ever had an irrational moment in your life."_

"I had sex with you, didn't I?" She said very quietly, so as not to be overheard.

" _Hmmmmm yes. A very long time ago."_ He replied pointedly _"Anyway, that is not irrational, I am irresistible. What female could refuse me?"_

" _A female who wants to live to see another dawn!"_

He looked so put out that she grinned and added _"_ Lighten up! You never know what I might take it into my hormone-addled brain to do."

" _Just as long as you lapse into irrationality after you land the shuttle."_ He flexed his arms and cracked his knuckle joints.

* * *

Scar and Lex followed Nar'Jat and Khurshad down the shuttle steps into the ships cavernous landing bay.

The place seemed almost deserted at first glance, but as they reached the ground a small contingent of hunters approached them. They saluted the two council members, whilst simultaneously casting inquisitive glances at her. Scar in full armour, wearing dah'kte on his wrists and his swords on his back, strolled down the gantry in his usual manner – suggesting by his demeanour that he already owned this whole ship and everything on it.

Lex came after him, scowling. She was not in a good mood. Her pregnancy was very obvious and all the staring was making her feel like a microbe in a petridish. She was armed with her own blades and carried the pulse rifle on her hip, hanging from a strap round her neck. Her black hair was piled up on top of her head to keep it off her neck, a leather strip tied round her brow to keep it out of her eyes. The tropical heat on their ships always made her sweaty and uncomfortable for a few days before she became acclimatised to it and being pregnant made it even worse. Her back ached and her ankles felt swollen to bursting point "Another sweat box that smells like a locker room!" She thought irritably "Why don't they turn the damn thermostat down?"

She thought she recognised the leader of the other group from the council chamber on the Shadow. The way he was dressed suggested he was fairly high-ranking.

" _S'Kiron,"_ Nar'Jat said _"It is good to see that you are not dead."_

" _You are welcome aboard the Void Cutter Nar'Jat,"_ the other senior male said.

" _Send for some medics to come and collect R'Zuul,"_ Nar'Jat waved one hand towards the ship _"He is in the medi-pod."_

" _And you have brought with you the renegade,"_ S'Kiron nodded towards Scar, who gave him a very casual nod _"Is he your prisoner?"_

" _I chose to pardon him."_ Nar'Jat said before Khurshad could speak _"The ooman also has been pardoned for killing D'Kand."_

" _Indeed?"_ S'Kiron raised his brows in surprise and darting his eyes at Khurshad.

Nar'Jat nodded shortly _"Take me to the rest of the senior clan members. We must consider our next move."_

S'Kiron cast another glance at the two of them _"I will send the medics for R'Zuul_. _"_

They followed on behind Nar'Jat and the other two captains. Scar ignored the hostile gaze of the other males that focussed on him as he reached the bottom of the gantry. He sauntered confidently right through the middle of the group so that they were forced to either confront him or get out of their way. None of them seemed in a hurry to confront him.

"Very subtle, very diplomatic." She murmured, walking alongside him.

"This is not the time for… diplomacy." He replied in English, not looking in her direction "This is to … let them they cannot… fuck with us."

The lower decks were fairly deserted but as they reached the living areas in the upper deck, they saw more and more Rough Skulls. Though they were the subject of intense scrutiny, no-one dared to say anything whilst they were obviously with some of the most senior members of the council.

Lex scanned the crowds of faces and was unable to pick out any that she recognised from the Shadow. She wondered if anyone else had made it out. She also wondered if everyone here knew about Scar stealing the shuttle, about her killing D'Kand. She guessed they probably did. It always amazed her how efficient the grapevine seemed to be at spreading news around the vast ship, even things that nobody was meant to know "It's an enclosed environment, claustrophobic," she thought "So I guess you can't help knowing everyone else's business, but it's worse than a sewing circle."

As they reached what looked like the main hall, there were several large crowds of hunters standing around doing what bored, young males generally did on ship when they weren't training, eating or sleeping: hanging around.

They walked in after Khurshad and Nar'Jat and suddenly they saw Rika. He was standing in one of the groups nearby. His expression registered surprise when he saw Scar, switching to naked amazement when he saw her. Rika was never very good at keeping a straight face.

" _S'Kia!"_ Rika was somewhat torn between being happy to see his friend and doubt as to whether it was a good idea to be seen speaking to him _"It…. seems a long time since I last saw you."_

" _It has been a long time."_ Scar said slowly, raising his spikey brow at Rika's awkward manner and wondering if they were going to have to stand around stating the obvious all day _"We have been gone for over half a solar year."_

" _Hello Rika."_ Lex said, forcing him to acknowledge her.

" _Lexssssh."_ He said weakly, clearly rather disturbed by her presence. His eyes kept flickering downwards to her hugely swollen midriff. For a few moments he stood at a loss, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, unsure what to say to her. Behind her, Scar clicked sharply with irritation.

After a sufficiently awkward silence, Rika's curiosity finally got the better of him and he leaned closer so he could speak without others hearing _"I… wondered where you have been all this time… there were rumours that you stole a shuttle, that you had gone to back to the ooman's planet…that Lex was the one responsible for finally sticking D'Kand.."_ He trailed off, looking from one to the other for confirmation or denial.

" _And so?"_ Scar snapped at him, patience exhausted.

" _I just want to know if it is true?"_ Rika hissed at her _"Did you kill him?"_

" _She did!"_ Scar cut in before she could answer, his grin widening to the point where it seemed his head might split in half _"Can you believe she deprived me of that particular pleasure? Accursed, bloodthirsty demon she is."_

" _It was necessary."_ She said flatly.

At this Rika seemed to forget about her disturbing pregnancy and grasped her by the shoulder, his face warping into an incredulous grin of his own _"I admit I did not believe it. I always thought it must have been you, S'Kia!"_ Turning back to Scar he said _"But why have you been away so long? We could have used you when the Shadow was attacked."_

" _So I hear," S_ aidScar, looking serious for once _"I am pleased to see you were not destroyed along with it."_

" _I do not see G'Rithik…."_ Lex said, scanning the crowds.

" _He did not make it off the Shadow."_ Rika said _"He died well I am told_. _"_

There was a moment of silence. Lex looked sidelong at Scar, trying to decipher how he was taking this news. There was no emotional response that she could detect. Then again, perhaps that was not the done thing. Finally Scar said _"R'Zuul was on the shuttle we arrived on."_

" _R'Zuul?!"_ Rika's sudden shout caused a few other males to look round in surprise _"I heard he was dead. Where in the underworld did you dredge him up from?"_

" _The same place we found Khurshad and Nar'Jat."_ Scar said in an even lower undertone, so low it made her eyelashes vibrate, he looked like he would say more but broke off as she gave him a discreet dig in the ribs _"Anyway,"_ He finished _"He had not yet regained consciousness when I last saw him_ _but I think he is in this plane of existence yet."_

Rika's eyes widened _"But… you were under sentence of death. I do not understand how you managed to go from being a condemned criminal to being in company with the head of the clan. What did you say to them?"_

" _We just explained everything to them."_ Lex said, trying to close down the subject. _"In very compelling terms."_ She didn't think it would win them any favour with Nar'Jat or Khurshad if the story of their being held to ransom on the Penumbra got around. After all, they could hardly fail to guess who had been responsible for spreading it.

Scar obviously caught her drift _"Put it down to my skill at_ 'diplomacy'. _"_ He shrugged.

Lex gazed around. Nar'Jat, Khurshad and S'Kiron had disappeared into the inner council chamber at the far side of the hall. "I am tired," she said to Scar in English "Where do we sleep on this tin can? I was up flying that damn ship for hours."

" _Lower decks,"_ He nodded towards the way they'd come in _"Not hungry? You usually are…"_

" _I warned you not to keep making fun of my eating habits, I will wait until_ _ **you**_ _are asleep and cut something off you – something you will miss."_ Shesaid breezily, smiling as she saw Rika looking pained out of the corner of her eye. Sometimes she was especially rude and disrespectful to Scar in front of Rika deliberately, to shock him. She knew it was wicked of her to tease him but he was so easy to shock _"And now I am going to lie down before I fall asleep on my feet."_

" _I will come with you. I want to know where you are."_ He frowned under the mask _"I do not think it advisable for you to wander the ship on your own."_

* * *

When Scar had made sure Lex was safely in the sleeping quarters and rejoined Rika a short while later, he looked somewhat distracted. They walked towards the communal hall in silence. To Rika it seemed like his friend had something weighing on his mind.

" _You and the ooman are no different."_ he said.

" _Hrrmmmm."_ Scar wasn't really listening to him.

" _Still fighting your eternal battle of words."_ When this elicited no response, Rika decided it was time to go for a more direct approach. _"S'Kia, I cannot understand why you brought her here. This ship is no place for a female, especially not …. and we are on the brink of war!"_

" _If I remember correctly,"_ Scar raised his brows at him _"The last time you fought Lex, she beat you – no?"_

Rika spluttered, nettled by the reminder _"I mean, obviously Lexsssh can fight…. I mean… she could before but when she was... when she was not… By the Blood God, S'Kia! She is obscenely pregnant! It is not right for her to be walking around in public! Showing herself in front of all these males! And why do you want her and her mewling ooman spawn around you anyway?"_

Scar paused and frowned at him as they reached the entrance to the hall _"Rika, you are starting to annoy me. What difference does it make to you? She is vulnerable because she is pregnant. I gave her my word I would protect her. That is an end of it."_

Rika managed to hold his peace as they crossed the hall and shifted in his seat while his friend devoured his way through huge amounts of food with every sign of enjoyment, just as if everything was totally normal.

" _Even if…"_ Rika shook his head, eventually breaking the silence _"Even if… I still do not understand why you have brought her here. Would she not be better off with other females? Other oomans? Birthing, looking after infants, all that…. mess! That is female business. Thank the Gods!"_

Scar flipped a hand dismissively _"She did not want me to leave her. It made her distressed."_

" _Let her be distressed, what do you care?"_ Now it was Rika's turn to ask _"Can you not just send her back to her own planet? Tell her it is for her own good. You should have left her there to start with."_

Scar sighed inwardly, feeling acutely the difference between them. _"He is still exactly the same as when I last saw him,"_ He thought _"But I feel totally different, I have changed. He would not understand why I do what I do, even if I were to explain it to him. And he clearly knows nothing about females; as if Lex would just meekly go where I bid her!"_ The thought made him purr with laughter _._

" _Rika, I am not sending her anywhere,"_ He said eventually, trying to think of a reason that his friend would accept _"I owe her my life."_

" _But do you think the clan will tolerate her presence? S'Kia you must consider that the moment she is unprotected someone may take the opportunity to kill her."_ Rika shook his head _"How will you prevent them?"_

" _Like this."_ Scar held up a hand and extended the dah'kte blade. It slid out with a ringing noise _"Nevertheless,"_ He continued seeing the smaller male's dubious expression _"I will consider what you have said a warning."_

Rika nodded, unable to think what else to say.

Scar went back to eating for a few minutes, then looked up at his friend. _"So tell me,"_ He said curiously _"What happened on the Shadow, Nar'Jat and Khurshad were… not clear on details. How did those leeches get onboard without being detected? And how did you get off the Shadow alive?"_

" _I do not know how they got in,"_ Rika's jaws twisted in a grimace _"I was off ship at the time on a hunt but I have heard that the alarms did not sound and yet suddenly they were everywhere! They were taken utterly by surprise, they tried to mount a defence but by then it was too late. We were overrun."_

" _They must have some new technology,"_ Scar's brow drew down in thought _"Found some new method of evading detection by our instruments. I can hardly believe it – they have never been skilled at clever warfare and tactics – but that must be it. And yet… still we are sitting here, why are we not attacking them?"_

" _Again I do not know,"_ Rika shook his head _"We were recalled here and told to muster for the attack but that was seven days ago."_

" _Hmmmm."_ Scar turned a meat-stripped bone around in his talons, considering it from various angles _"Let us hope they will act, now that Nar'Jat is here."_

Rika looked at the ground for a moment and then suddenly his eyes widened as he remembered something.

" _S'Kia I forgot to tell you,"_ He said excitedly _"Before you came back I was talking to Murentz who has just got out of the infirmary. He told me that R'Zuul_ _ **is**_ _there and he has regained consciouness!"_

Scar frowned _"How does Murentz know this?"_

" _He saw him,"_ Rika grinned _"Murentz said he spoke to him and he was exactly the same!"_

" _You mean he is still a meddlesome, old bug-fucker who interferes in the lives of others?"_

Rika clicked in surprise _"I do not understand S'Kia, I thought you would be pleased to learn of this – after all you were the one who saved his life and even before that R'Zuul always favoured you above everyone else. He wanted to promote you."_

" _Ha, yes!"_ Scar spat _"Promote me to be his little acolyte; to follow him around and do what he has done with his life – nothing! That is the sort of favour I would rather be without."_

" _You are not making any sense,"_ Rika's already furrowed brow creased still further _"Why would you not want higher social standing? You would get to spend more time on the Hunt; you would get more respect; you would have breeding priviledges... what else_ _ **is**_ _there to life?"_

" _Hrrrmmm."_ His friend did not answer him but seemed to be deep in thought. He stared at the bone between his claws for a long minute. Then abruptly, he stood up to leave.

Rika was nonplussed, at a loss to know what he had said now that might have caused such a reaction _"Where are you going?"_

Scar glanced back at him _"I am going to check on my 'pet'."_

* * *

Scar had not been lying to Rika. He did go briefly back to the sleeping quarters but found that – as he had expected and hoped – Lex was deeply asleep. He prayed that being unconscious would keep her out of trouble for a short time. He had done his best to impress upon her the risks of roaming around the Void Cutter unaccompanied and unprotected but he was all too familiar with her tendency to totally disregard his instructions if she decided she knew better.

" _She is out of the way."_ He thought _"For now at least."_

Out of the way for what though? What was he planning that he needed her to be absent, he wondered?

" _I am_ _ **not**_ _going to go and see R'Zuul,"_ He told himself as he left the sleeping quarters, locking the door behind him _"That interferring old cripple gave up all claims on my loyalty when he put Lex in that pod and then lied to me about it. I saved him from the Penumbra – and I would not have done that if I had known it was him! What more can he expect from me?"_

His last confrontation with R'Zuul so preoccupied him that he didn't take any notice of where he was going. When he became aware of his surroundings again it was as if he'd been sleepwalking. He suddenly realised he'd been heading towards the infirmary after all.

So … R'Zuul waited in the room at the end of this passage.

As he stood there hesistating, a memory suddenly came back to him of another infirmary on another ship. During infancy and adolescence he'd frequently been injured and he'd very often been beaten by the adult males. Sometimes it was because he'd been fighting with the other juveniles, but usually it was down to his smart mouth. He'd always had a quick brain hotwired directly into an evil tongue and he'd spent a lot of time covered in bruises.

On this particular occasion he'd been brawling with D'Kand again, a fight which (he now recalled) he had not started. The squad leader had broken it up and asked why they were both such pathetic little specimens that they could not control themselves. He had given R'Zuul some piece of defiance, incensed at the injustice of it all. He didn't remember exactly what he'd said that had so infuriated the squad leader but in return R'Zuul had given Scar the beating of his life – almost the last beating of his life. He remembered _that_ well enough, though he had only been nine or ten years old at the most.

Back then, R'Zuul had towered over him. He hit Scar mainly across the jaw, back and shoulders at first, which was painful but not intended to injure him seriously. Eventually he said _"That corrosive mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble S'Kia, I trust you have learned to keep it shut in future?"_

Scar was hurting but somehow his indignation burned more fiercely then the pain. _"How dare R'Zuul try to control me?"_ He seethed _"How dare he punish me for something that was not my fault?"_

" _Well?"_ R'Zuul snarled, when he didn't answer immediately.

He gave his captain a crooked grin _"I thought you wanted me to keep my mouth shut, R'Zuul?"_

So the squad leader laid into him again, this time hitting him hard in the stomach and chest with his huge fists. Finally when Scar was doubled up on the floor he'd asked him _"Are you going to stop trying to be clever now?"_

Coughing and spitting blood, Scar had pushed himself obstinately to his knees. His peers, the other members of the squad were all watching; D'Kand and his contingent wore poorly concealed smirks, they were clearly enjoying this. Rika, Gri'thik and his other friends just looked frozen to the spot. Se'Krit and Selim were torn between obedience to their captain and wanting to protect their crazy, combative little brother; obviously desperate to step in but not wanting to be the next targets of R'Zuul's wrath.

Scar barely registered their presence. This was a battle of wills now between himself and R'Zuul. Nothing else mattered. Even though he knew what would follow, he just couldn't help himself. Any attempt to intimidate him always spurred him to even greater rebellion. He glared up at his captain sulphurously _"You would perhaps prefer me to be …stupid?"_

R'Zuul had gotten really angry then, punching him in the head repeatedly with a fist that felt like a battering ram. By the time he was done Scar's face was so puffy and bloodied he could barely see and one mandible was broken. Finally his captain picked him up by the throat and pinned him up against the wall.

" _Have you had enough now, you stupid, stubborn_ _ **child**_ _?"_ He bellowed, showering him with spittle.

Scar looked at the older male with one eye, the other was swollen shut. Then he said, very deliberately, having to work hard to form the words with his injured jaw _"Why; have you?"_

That's when the squad leader had slammed his head against the wall.

Scar had woken up days later in the infirmary. He had been surprised to wake up at all, much more so that his captain had actually taken the trouble to seek medical attention for him rather than just leaving him to recover on his own (or possibly not). Even more strange was that R'Zuul had come to see him during his recovery (which had been quite a long one, a few weeks) and had seemed… almost concerned about his injuries. Scar had still been defiant and suspicious of him initially, however the squad leader's rage seemed to have fizzled out. Oddly the episode seemed to have made R'Zuul like him better than he had done previously.

Now he considered it in retrospect, Scar supposed his former captain had admired his refusal to be intimidated. Certainly any juvenile who could take a savage beating like that and live was also no weakling. From that time on it had become more and more apparent that he was R'Zuul's favourite.

His brothers had teased him about it _"Ever since R'Zuul knocked you silly you have been his pet."_ Se'Krit had said mockingly.

" _You had better watch out S'Kia,"_ Selim added with a snigger _"That he does not mistake you for a female one of these nights."_

" _What is wrong Selim, are you jealous?"_ Scar had responded _"Wish it was you he was keen on? Pity for you he has better taste -"_

Of course that had descended into a fraternal melee. Scar hadn't cared, even aged ten he had never cared about others opinions – even those of his elder brothers. Despite the fact that R'Zuul had nearly killed him, he felt a grudging liking for the squad leader; he was clever and he was a skilful fighter and since the beating, he had treated him better. He obviously expected Scar to obey him and show him the proper respect as his captain and as a senior male, but he did not treat him as much like a child as he had done previously.

" _I suppose Rika must have been right,"_ He thought ruefully _"He does… he did… like me more than the others. Much good it did him… or me."_

Now that he was here the urge to go in there and see his former mentor was very strong. Bonds so long established could not be easily broken. Also there was something else troubling him.

" _R'Zuul is the only one on this ship who definitely knows the truth about myself and Lex,"_ He thought _, "If he knows that she is here and she is pregnant he could no doubt guess the rest. Is he planning to tell the council? I have to ask him, I have to know…"_

He hesitated a moment longer and then, mandibles curling up determinedly, he suddenly turned and stalked down the passageway towards the infirmary door.

As he entered the room he saw R'Zuul sitting up on one of the berths, feet on the floor, seemingly on the point of getting up.

They were alone. The squad leader's chest was swathed in black, metal bandages and one arm was strapped up to his shoulder. He looked up when he heard the door slide open and his face changed when he saw Scar standing in the doorway. For a fleeting instant he looked pleased, then just as quickly his brow drew down and his expression became wary.

" _S'Kia."_ He said guardedly.

" _R'Zuul."_ Scar's tone was equally careful.

" _I hear,"_ Said R'Zuul _"That I have you to thank for rescuing me from a dishonourable death on the Penumbra?"_

" _I suppose that is true."_ Scar's eyes narrowed.

" _And I have heard,"_ Said R'Zuul, picking his words with care _"That you have brought the soft-meat female back with you."_

" _Yes,"_ Scar made himself be calm _"Lex is onboard."_

" _And I also hear,"_ R'Zuul said pointedly _"That she is pregnant. Very pregnant and very near to birthing."_

" _Who has told you all this?"_ Scar lifted his brows.

" _Khurshad."_ R'Zuul said, watching his eyes.

" _Khurshad_ _ **is**_ _a fount of information!"_ Scar said caustically _"Has he no weightier duties to perform than to spread gossip all around the ship, hrrrrmmm? He should concentrate on what he is good at; dragging his knuckles along the floor and playing chief lackey to Nar'Jat."_

R'Zuul scrunched his jaws up in displeasure at this insolence _"This acid tongue of yours S'Kia,"_ He said _"I have told you before it will get you into trouble. You had best not say that anywhere Khurshad will get to hear of it."_

" _Did he also tell you that I had to rescue both his and Nar'Jat's crumbling old corpses from the Penumbra at the same time I did yours? They were so weak I could have dispatched them both without even exerting myself."_ Scar shrugged as if this treasonous remark were only a small thing _"I only mention this in case he was so busy appraising you of all his other juicy morsels of news that it slipped his mind."_

" _S'Kia,"_ His former captain sighed _"Khurshad may not be exactly quick-witted – not like you are – but you are wrong to underestimate him. He has survived in the top eschelon of the leadership for a long time. Whatever promises he has made at the point of your blade, he would make a very dangerous enemy."_

" _Take a good look at me R'Zuul,"_ Scar stepped closer to the squad leader, out of the shadow of the doorway _"Do I look like I need to be afraid of Khurshad? Or you? Or anyone else? I am no longer a child whose skull you can bounce off the wall for answering back, I am Sain'ja._ _ **I**_ _am the one who is a dangerous enemy now."_

R'Zuul looked at him for a few moments and then gave a low chuckle _"Oh S'Kia, you think that because you are blooded and have grown an adult sized pair of fists and a cock and have worked out what to do with them, that means you are an adult? Unless and until you learn to control them, you are still a child! You let yourself be led around by your rage; by your lust and now you expect me to take you seriously? I have tried to teach you all your life; a real warrior controls his impulses. He does not allow_ _ **them**_ _to control_ _ **him**_ _."_

Scar was surprised by how sharply R'Zuul's words stung _"So what would you have me do?"_ He snarled _"Spend the rest of my existence jumping when Nar'Jat speaks whilst repressing my every thought, word and deed? What kind of miserable life is that?"_

" _It is the life you were born to!"_ R'Zuul hissed _"Gods curse you S'Kia what makes you think you should not have to fall in line? And if you cannot live up to it, then why did you ever come back? More to the point why did you bring_ _ **her**_ _, are you truly as mad as they say?"_

" _Do not speak to me of her."_ Scar's hackles began to rise as they always did whenever Lex was mentioned between them _"I know you hate her."_

" _Of course I hate her!"_ R'Zuul exploded _"She is an insidious, poisonous infection! But I do not care what you do with her behind closed doors. You think you are the only one who ever wanted to do something that was forbidden? Fuck her until she splits in half if you really cannot help yourself, but why bring her onboard this ship, pregnant? It is akin to an open declaration of war!"_

" _I do not have to explain myself to_ _ **you!**_ _"_

" _I know you S'Kia, I have known you since you were two years old. I know when you are lying so just tell me,"_ R'Zuul looked him straight in the eye _"Are you in some way… connected to her pregnancy?"_

Scar stared at him for a long moment, this was not how he had imagined it going. Why was it that R'Zuul still had the ability to make him feel like a furious, powerless child? _"He is not my captain now!"_ He thought _"Why should I tell him anything?"_

On the other hand, what was the point of lying? It was true that R'Zuul had always been able to tell when he was trying to deceive him.

" _It is my offspring she carries."_ He said shortly.

" _Then know that the day she births it is the day your death sentence is formalised."_ R'Zuul said flatly _"And hers. As you do not seem to care about anything else, be assured of that. Khurshad, for one, would take great pleasure in seeing to it that there is no mercy for either of you. He already calls you the Abomination just for associating with her; imagine what he will do when he finds out the truth? And he will not be alone."_

" _Are you threatening me?"_

" _Grow up!"_ R'Zuul snapped.

Scar stepped right up to him, towering over him as once R'Zuul had loomed over his juvenile self _"Are you planning to tell Khurshad and Nar'Jat what you know?"_

R'Zuul regarded him coolly _"I do not need to. Time will reveal all your secrets, S'Kia."_

" _But you will not?"_

" _Why do you think that I want to hasten your death? You were always my most talented pupil. Destroying you would be such a terrible waste of your talents and my time and effort."_ R'Zuul sighed _"I always thought that these … extremes of temprament were a price you paid for your other gifts. I had hoped you might have grown out of them by now – a vain hope as it turns out!"_ He snorted derisively at his own foolishness.

It was Scar's turn to be sarcastic _"Am I supposed now to see that I have been at fault, fall to my knees, and tell you I will never ignore your sage counsel again?"_

At this R'Zuul actually laughed _"When have you ever listened to the advice of anyone S'Kia, except for that soft-meat bitch? No doubt she tells you that you do not need your own kind anymore but she is wrong! You should kill her now, while she still keeps your secret. Then it will die with her and nobody else need ever know."_

Scar stared at him for a moment _"So that is how a 'warrior' attains control is it R'Zuul?"_ He said coldly _"By slaughtering pregnant females and their own unborn young?"_

" _If you want to return to your position here, yes."_ R'Zuul said calmly, as if the question were stupid in the extreme.

With sudden violence born out of fury, Scar seized him by the throat _"Never!"_ He growled, his voice rising louder and louder with his anger and his claws closing tighter around the others windpipe _"I will never touch her to harm her whilst she is carrying my offspring so you can fuck yourself with your advice and concentrate on keeping your mouth shut!"_

" _Cool down…idiot..."_ R'Zuul wheezed, speaking with difficulty _"…Or you will give your secrets away …yourself..."_

Scar realeased him immediately and his former mentor fell back gasping but he still looked calm – calmer than Scar. The younger male had just about regained mastery of himself but his jaws still twitched. He knew he had come off worst in this exchange but he couldn't comprehend why. He had thought that his time away and out from under R'Zuul's command would change things between them but it seemed the squad leader still had the upper hand over him. As soon as Scar saw him he could feel the old pattern reasserting itself; authoritative teacher and petulant adolescent. Even the threat of violence had not served to tip the balance in his favour.

He turned to leave but as he reached the door something occurred to him, something odd that his former captain had said. He looked back at the squad leader and asked _"So… what was it for you, R'Zuul?"_

R'Zuul glared at him in puzzlement _"What was what?"_

" _The thing you wanted,"_ Scar said slowly, regarding him speculatively _"The thing that was forbidden. You said I was not the only one… so what was it you wanted to do?"_

For the first time in their conversation R'Zuul lost his superior air. _"I was not referring to myself!"_ He spluttered indignantly.

" _Because you are immune to illicit impulses?"_

" _Because I have self control, something I failed to teach you!"_

" _Or maybe you do not wish to tell me,"_ Scar continued _"Perhaps you would prefer me to guess? My brothers always joked about you…"_

" _Do not turn your evil mind on me, S'Kia!"_ R'Zuul's skin was pale under his mottled markings and his eyes blazed _"Keep your wicked thoughts and accusations to yourself!"_

" _You think you are that good at concealment, hrrrrm?"_ Scar's eyes narrowed.

Now it was R'Zuul's turn snarl at him _"I have nothing to conceal! Whatever it is you think you know S'Kia, it means nothing! Whatever impulses I have, I keep on a tight rein."_

" _I recall you nearly killed me once. You did not seem in control then."_

" _That has nothing to do with it."_ R'Zuul's jaws curled up _"You were insubordinate – anybody else would have done the same. You deserved it."_ He croaked.

" _Why then did you take me to the medics?"_

" _An oversight I am regretting more with every passing moment!"_

" _Have it your way you old liar!"_ Scarspat harshly _"Take your secrets into the void with you if that is what you wish. Just be sure you take mine too."_

With that he turned and stormed out, telling himself he'd won.


	13. Chapter 13

Lex had expected trouble when they arrived on the ship, but she was pleasantly surprised when their presence was pretty much unchallenged by anyone. Her relief was not shared by Scar. Since coming back he seemed to be constantly on edge, always alert to the possibility of an attack.

Over the next few days, however, it quickly became apparent why nobody bothered them. Partly it was down to the manner of their arrival and the sense that they were under the unspoken protection of the council.

Lex surmised that, given Rika's inability to keep quiet about anything, Scar had told him very little, but at least his friend told him what was being said about them. Privately she suspected Rika had probably been instrumental in spreading at least some of these stories himself.

Scar was widely considered to be an unpredictable, criminal lunatic and word had also got round about Lex killing D'Kand. A female human who could kill one of their own was going against the natural order of things and, hence, also profoundly disturbing.

Most worryingly and divertingly for both of them it was thought that Scar's bouts of violent insanity (as it was generally regarded) and initial defection from the clan were her doing. This coupled with the quasi-religious regard that males of their race had for pregnancy, meant that she had become an object of almost superstitious dread. In short, both of them were viewed with extreme suspicion.

" _They think,"_ Rika told them both the next day, looking round the crowded eating hall to make sure they were not being overheard _"S'Kia is mad because of you."_ Rika faltered for a moment, trying to think of a way to put the lurid rumours that he would be comfortable with saying to Scar's face. In truth he was already glossing over a lot _"That is… you exert malign powers of alien control over his mind. That he is in thrall to your evil will. Nobody wants to fall under your abominable influence."_

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Scar become very still.

" _Alien mind control?"_ He asked tightly, jaws twitching.

She struggled for a moment to keep a straight face, until he dissolved into a fit of snorting, poorly suppressed laughter and she cracked up as well, unable to stop herself.

Rika was appalled. He was uncomfortably aware that the noise was attracting attention but it was a few minutes before either of them could recover their composure.

Eventually Lex said "That is the stupidest thing I ever heard."

"Your influence issss… abominable." He muttered in English, rubbing his aching stomach muscles "That is why it is… sssso funny."

She glared at him, which he affected not to notice. Then someone said behind them _"S'Kia? I am surprised you have the nerve to show yourself on this ship in public after running away from your clan like a coward!"_

He recognised the voice and turned slowly, spreading his arms out, as if welcoming an old friend _"H'Ritz!"_ he said with a worrying grin _"I should have known it was too much to hope that you went down with the Shadow."_

H'Ritz was sitting at one of the other benches. Scar realised he must've been sitting with his back to them before. _"Still dragging your filthy, little ooman plaything around with you?"_ H'Ritz shook his head.

Lex nodded at him _"I remember your friend called me the same thing – just before I killed him."_

" _I am speaking to him, not you slut!"_ H'Ritz sneered at her _"You are lucky that your belly protects you from me, for the present! Though I am sure no–one would reproach me for exterminating you. Rest assured when you finally drop your spawn I will make you pay for his death."_

" _Threatening pregnant females now?"_ Scar spat at him scornfully _"Very brave."_

" _Always very protective of your little pet, are you not S'Kia?"_ H'Ritz smirked _"Do not like anyone menacing her, especially now that she is pregnant. I wonder why?"_

" _Shut up."_ Scar growled warningly.

" _Maybe it is because you have a personal interest?"_

" _I said: be silent."_ Scar's eyes glowed and his voice dropped to a threatening hiss, but it was no good. H'Ritz could see that unexectedly he'd touched a nerve and right now nothing could have induced him to stop talking. He had never before managed to get Scar on the back foot and, after all the times the more dominant male had mocked him in the past, he could not resist pushing his advantage.

" _Finally gave in to your unnatural lusts did you, S'Kia?"_ H'Ritz's mandibles spread in satisfaction as his opponent stared at him furiously _"I am correct, am I not ooman slut?"_ H'Ritz turned back towards Lex and laughed seeing her discomfiture _._

At his words, a shockwave of panic ran up her spine. Suddenly the rumours Rika had been telling them about didn't seem at all funny. "We've got to shut him up!" She thought "God only knows what the rest of the clan will do if they start to believe what he's saying is true!" The same thought had obviously occurred to Scar. Before H'Ritz had even finished speaking he crossed the distance between them and pushed him hard in the shoulder _"Why wait for your revenge?"_ He snarled _"_ _ **I**_ _am not pregnant."_

They looked at each other for a moment. Scar smiled savagely into his adversary's face. Technically, he had issued his opponent with a formal challenge so the protocol should have been for them to go and fight in the proper place but he was watching H'Ritz's eyes and he could see the fear that had sprung up there. As he turned to walk away he heard the telltale noise of blades being unsheathed, as he'd known he would. He saw Lex's eyes widen in alarm and spun to one side, narrowly missing a jab in the guts. Whipping round, he grabbed H'Ritz's extended arm, bringing his elbow down on it as hard as he could, and was rewarded with a telltale crack. Then he drove his fist into his opponent's midriff. There was a noise like someone hitting a bag of wet cement. He looked into H'Ritz's watering eyes and gripped his other arm, bending it into an unnatural angle.

H'Ritz struggled to break his hold but he was helpless. One arm was broken and useless, a jagged spur of bone jutting from the flesh. He could hardly breathe and he was terrified, Scar could smell great waves of it radiating off him. It pleased him immensely

" _He thinks I am going to kill him. As if he were worth it!"_ He thought. Looking around the room he could see that H'Ritz was not the only one who thought so _"They really are afraid of me! Well, well…no harm in adding a bit more fuel on the fire."_

" _You are in luck!"_ He said conversationally, but quietly enough so that only H'Ritz could hear him _"Really I should kill you. That would be a satisfying revenge for beating Lex almost to death before, hrrrmmmm? But instead…"_ He twisted the unbroken arm as far as it would go until he felt something go crack _"I am just going to break both your arms."_

" _And your face."_ He said, jabbing his head forward and butting him in the forehead. As H'Ritz's head jerked back Scar released his hold on his arms and pushed him hard so that H'Ritz staggered backwards, spitting blood. He followed him, punching him hard in the jaw, sending bits of broken tusk flying and knocking him down.

" _And maybe I will snap a few of your ribs, too."_ He mused, kicking him in the stomach and chest and hitting him again in the jaw as well, knocking his head against the deck. Scar carried on hitting him for a few more minutes, now concentrating his blows on H'Ritz's legs, all too aware of the utter silence that surrounded them in the packed room, broken only by the monotonous sound of flesh hitting flesh. The other male was trying to rise but he was too badly injured.

Finally he reached down and grasped H'Ritz by the throat, pulling him up into sitting position. The other male was a dead weight, Scar's grip was the only thing keeping him upright. Extending one blade and holding it pressed against his neck, he glanced up at the human. Her face had that carefully blank expression he knew so well. For once he couldn't tell what emotion she was concealing. Perhaps she was remembering the time H'Ritz had done the same to her and felt some satisfaction at seeing him take a beating. He really hoped so.

He turned his attention back to his opponent. H'Ritz was coughing and shaking as his body went into shock. Scar leaned down so that his head was almost level with the others ear.

" _And so,"_ His voice was quite calm _"Have you had enough revenge today?"_

" _Jusssst kill me!"_ H'Ritz hissed slurrily through his broken jaw _"Get it over with!"_

Scar stood still for a moment, savouring H'Ritz's utter powerlessness.

" _No."_ He snarled _"You are not deserving of it."_

He let the stricken male drop to the floor and H'Ritz collapsed bonelessly _"All things considered,"_ He snorted _"I think you got away easily."_

He spread his arms again, turning round to take in the whole of the watching crowd _"Is there anyone else here who wishes to say anything to me?"_

A hush had descended on the room "Altogether or one at a time? No?" he said in English.

Nobody made a sound or moved a muscle. _"I thought not!"_ He spat. Sheathing his blades he walked away, the noise echoing in the silence. Others scrambled to get out of his path as he walked through the crowd, back to where she was standing by the door. _"Was that really necessary?"_ She raised an eyebrow.

" _Overcome by a fit of compassion, demon?"_ He snorted _"I had not thought even the soft meat could be so soft!"_

" _Did you have to break his arms and his legs?"_

" _That is not all I broke with any luck!"_ He smirked and then seeing her expression he made a disgusted noise _"You are not wasting your concern on slime? He would happily see you filleted!"_

" _He can drop dead for all I care."_ She admitted _"But… will you not be locked up again now?"_

" _You would prefer I just let him go on running his mouth in front of everyone?"_ He spread his arms in exasperation.

" _No."_ She shook her head.

" _Then what choice did I have? I do not think they would imprison me for beating up a loud-mouthed little insect like him. Anyway, he drew a weapon on me – everyone saw. I made sure of it."_

" _DKand drew on you before and you got locked up then."_

" _Ah, but this time,"_ He reminded her _"The two most senior members of the council owe us their lives!"_

"Well if there was anyone on this ship who didn't think you were under my evil spell before," She murmured in a sing-song voice "There isn't now!"

" _But that is what I want. If it means they keep their distance … so much the better."_ He said, brows knotting together.

" _Well I do not think anyone is going to be running to challenge you. Or me."_

" _I hope you are right,"_ He was still scowling _"I do not like the feeling on this ship. Everywhere I go, I smell fear. This whole place reeks of it."_

" _Is it not merely anxiety before battle?"_ She said as they began to walk away _"Or maybe it is you, making them afraid! You heard what Rika said -"_

" _No."_ He shook his head, deep in thought for once _"It is more than that and I do not like it. Why are we not attacking? We are just sitting here like dumb livestock."_

" _Nar'Jat is not one to rush in,"_ She said _"Is this not part of his plan?"_

" _Perhaps."_ But the expression on his face said clearly that he did not think it very likely.

" _You are just being paranoid."_ She shook her head.

" _Something does not feel right."_ He growled stubbornly.

* * *

It was night, or at least, the red daytime lighting of the ships interior had changed into the ghostly, blue illumination of night hours. The ship was always surrounded by endless blackness. Scar and Lex were in the quarters they shared in the living area of the ship.

She was sleeping deeply. The baby had gone quiet for once and she was making the most of it, lying on her side – dead to the world.

Scar drifted in and out, but he wasn't able to fall properly asleep. He'd been tense ever since they got back, in the grip of a sense of creeping unease. Even when he managed to doze for a few minutes his limbs and jaws twitched constantly.

Not like in the jungle, he reflected unhappily. There when he'd slept it was like the dead, deeply and dreamlessly, whilst she'd been like a cat on hot bricks. Either the baby was kicking or her temperature was fluctuating or some other pregnancy related irritant kept her awake.

Now that doubt had insinuated its long spidery fingers into his brain, he was the one who couldn't switch off. Partly it was having the woman here with so many other yautja around. He was unpleasantly aware of her current vulnerability, despite her assurances that she could handle herself. After H'Ritz's very public denunciation he had decided that he couldn't afford to let her out of his sight. It was the first time in his whole life he'd felt concern for the wellbeing of a life other than his own and he didn't like it. It made him feel utterly powerless. He felt so sure of the impending threat that he'd started sleeping masked and armed, not wanting to be taken unawares.

Putting H'Ritz down might have warned off the other Rough Skulls for a while, but what about when her gestation reached its inevitable conclusion? Then everybody would know. What then?

He didn't know. All he knew was that as long as they remained on board this ship she was at risk – not only from the Bad Bloods but from his own clan too.

Rolling over fretfully he sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. He stayed like that for a while, looking down at the sleeping human. _"R'Zuul is right about one thing,"_ His jaws curled back in a discontented grimace _"I should never have brought you here, I was crazy to think I could_. _But I know what I should do now…"_

His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden boom from somewhere outside. The walls of the room juddered, as if from a huge impact. The spectral blue lighting of the room flickered as the power failed momentarily. In an instant Scar was upright. He gripped Lex's shoulder, shaking her awake whilst with the other hand he reached over to the control panel by the door and flicked on the viewing screen that would allow him to see out into the corridor.

"Mmmmpf! What?" She mumbled, pushing herself up onto her elbows. She was about to say more but he clamped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes blinked rapidly and then fixed on his face in alarm as she fully regained consciousness. Then he released her mouth and she immediately began groping on the floor for her own mask and the gun.

Meanwhile he'd begun scanning up and down the corridor outside, at the same time strapping his wrist-blades into place and tightening them. He felt his scalp prickle in alarm as he saw a huge and menacing bipedal shape standing in the passageway outside. He could tell just from its size it was not his species.

" _They will soon know we are in here,"_ He thought, mind racing _"They will soon discover the door is locked from inside."_ Now he could hear raised voices outside, screams and shouts that indicated that a pitched struggle must be taking place further down the corridor.

" _Stay in here,"_ he moved silently to the doorway, hand covering the button that would open it _"Close the door after me and lock it."_

"No fucking way!" She hissed at him through the mask's intercom. She could now see the shape approaching and her voice was taught with anxiety "I'm not staying in here on my own!"

" _Rot you female, for once in your life will you just obey me without debate?!"_ He spat, pushing her backwards into the room. Unsheathing his wrist knives, he slapped the doors release button and launched himself at the shape. Lex stared in horror at the apparition which stood framed in the doorway, a towering figure so huge that it blotted out all the light from the corridor. He'd been right, they were bigger than any of the hunters she'd seen here. It stood head and shoulders above Scar and he was among the tallest males on board.

Scar hit the thing in the midriff with all his weight, plunging his blades into its stomach. As blood fountained up all over him he wrenched them free and hacked off an arm with a single slice, driving his other blade into its throat. The Bad-Blood had been expecting him but it hadn't been ready for such a frenzied attack. The confined space of the corridor and its larger size meant it was not as free to manoeuvre as he was, but even half eviscerated it wasn't beaten. He was too close for it to use the blades on its good hand properly but it managed to get one arm around him, nearly squeezing the breath out of his lungs with a strangled snarl. He drove the knives into its side again and again with a ferocity born out of desperation as it squeezed him tighter and tighter. His vision began to blur but he kept on stabbing until he felt the grip loosen and it dropped at his feet.

He didn't even get a chance to get his breath back before the next attacker rounded the turn in the passageway and he saw a glowing red targeting beam flicker across his torso. Only his reflexes saved him as he leapt across the corridor, seeing the plasma fire scorch and melt the metal behind where he'd been standing. He ricocheted off the opposite wall, hitting it with his feet and bouncing back towards the looming shadow.

He felt another blast zip past, singeing his arm and smelt burning flesh. He ignored the pain, pulled his smart disc and threw it as hard as he could at the Bad Blood. He caught it in the shoulder – the blade scything through bone and muscle tissue as easily as through water. As it reeled backwards, he landed in front of it and dealt it a swiping blow to the sternum. As it lunged for him, handicapped by its injuries, he skipped backwards out of reach. Pulling his long sword from the sheath on his back he lashed out, knocking its plasma cannon from the shoulder mounting. In answer the invader thrust out a hand and slashed him across the leg with its own blades, drawing thin lines of green gore. Cursing, he retreated back further to gain some breathing space but he was careful not to draw back too far. He didn't want it to reach the door of the room and see inside.

" _They are stronger, bigger, but not as fast,"_ he thought _"I have to keep moving or I will be ripped apart."_

It swung a smashing blow at him, first with one hand then the other. Snaking quickly under its arms, he swung the sword upwards with all the power he could muster, the razor sharp edge slicing through its neck. The giant stood as if transfixed for a second, and then its head slid slowly forward and thudded onto the floor. He sprang backwards as the body began to topple. It crashed down in front of him like a falling tree, revealing yet another attacker that leapt forward over the body of its dead clan-mate. This one was a lot faster than the other two and he was unprepared. It seized him by the throat and it was all he could do to grab its arm that came swinging forward to stick him in the belly. He kept a tight grip on it, focussing on holding the glinting metal off with all his strength as it hammered his head remorselessly against the wall. He knew he wasn't going to be able to keep it away forever, sooner or later he would lose consciousness. His skull began to creak under the repeated blows and he could feel his arm being inexorably forced back.

Just as he thought he couldn't hold it any longer, there was a deafening noise. His attacker's head suddenly exploded, showering him with vivid green goop and fragments of brain matter as a lead slug smacked into the side of its skull. Air flooded into his lungs as the corpse's fingers lost their grip on his throat and he was able to breathe again.

As the body collapsed he saw Lex, now fully clothed and armed, standing in the doorway of the room. Smoke curled from the barrel of the pulse rifle she still held pointed at him.

" _Armour piercing rounds. See what happens when you do not listen to me?"_ She said dryly, shrugging the gun up to her shoulder.

His obscene reply was cut off as they heard screams and roars further down the corridor. They both turned in the direction of the sound.

" _Can we not raise the alarm somehow?"_ She said, still staring into the darkness at the end of the passage.

" _Of course!"_ Berating himself for not thinking of it sooner. He ducked back into the room and pushed a button on the control panel of the door. Nothing happened _"It is not working! They must have disabled the alarm system."_ He growled, smacking the panel with his fist in frustration.

" _Come on, we should go!"_ She called, still watching the bend in the passage apprehensively _"It sounds like this ship is going to go down just like the Shadow did."_

" _Agreed."_ He nodded _"We cannot just sit here waiting to be atomised. Just remember that you must stay close and let me go first."_ As she sighed and nodded, he snatched up his plasma cannon and snicked it into place on its shoulder mounting and retrieved his smart disc, yanking it from the shoulder of the dead Bad Blood.

They advanced cautiously down the darkened passageway. When they reached the corner, he popped his head round it for a second. The place was a bloodbath. The dead lay everywhere, all of them his own species. The doors to the sleeping quarters were melted and broken open, some of the bodies still lying half inside the rooms. They seemed smaller than usual and he dimly remembered that this block of rooms was full of unblooded or recently blooded juveniles and adolescents who were only just reaching maturity. Most of them wouldn't be getting any older.

One of the attackers was still here, gloating over an adolescent male who stood at bay in a corner. He'd obviously been taken unawares whilst sleeping, he was unarmed and naked. As he watched the Bad Blood grabbed the struggling figure by the shoulder, lifting him easily off the floor in preparation for a killing blow. He stepped around the corner.

" _You fucking coward!"_ He roared _"Put the juvenile down and face someone who can fight back!"_

Immediately it turned at the prospect of a victim who might provide a little more sport, throwing the other male to one side so that he crashed head first against the wall.

" _Juvenile?"_ It purred, speaking a mangled version of his own language as it laughed at him _"You spotted-skinned midgets allll are children to me! Come then, if you are in such eagerness to meet with death."_

It prowled unhurriedly towards him. Obviously it didn't consider him much of a threat. Blades flashing it advanced, arms spread to prevent him getting around. It swiped at him a few times lazily, but he knew that if one of the blows connected it would do him severe damage. He ducked as one went singing over his head and dived between the Bad Blood's legs. Flipping upright as he arrived behind it he jabbed the sword into its side. It stuck there but was wrenched out of his hand as the thing spun round to face him. Bellowing in rage, it swung its arm wildly round and as he swayed backwards caught him a glancing blow on the shoulder, knocking him against the wall. He managed to dodge the next one just in time as his adversary struck the wall, driving its blades into the metal with all the power in its enormous shoulders. Before it could pull itself free he brought his own knives into play, chopping them down onto its outstretched arms and severing them both at the elbow. It staggered back and he followed. Gripping it by the back of the neck, he pulled it so close he could hear its breath rasping inside its mask. He plunged the blades into its throat and twisted, opening a huge wound like a bloody second mouth.

As its struggles began to weaken a red glimmer caught his eye, flashing across his forehead. Letting the body drop he flung himself to the floor as a plasma blast roared past above him. Looking round he saw another Bad Blood further down the passageway. As it took aim at him again he saw Lex emerge around the corner in front of it and fire, hitting it in the shoulder. It jerked to one side and the plasma blast went wide, raking a smouldering line along the wall. Its gun swivelled to try and get a bead on her but she was quicker and she had the advantage of not being wounded. She fired again – a head shot this time, shattering the front of its mask and leaving a smoking crater in its forehead.

He shouldered the still twitching body of the first Bad Blood aside and hauled himself to his feet. The corridor was quiet and filled with smoke. Panting he looked over to where the younger male was sitting against the wall, still half-stupefied.

" _Get up and get your weapons."_ He snarled _"We are leaving."_

* * *

They made their way up to the next level, moving carefully in case they met any more Bad Blood skirmishing parties. The deck above was not part of the living quarters and it seemed to be more or less deserted. Lex was unfamiliar with this part of the ship, she couldn't quite get her bearings.

All the time they moved she was thinking madly, trying to decide their best course of action. She would have dearly loved to get to the shuttle bay, get back onto the Umbra and escape, but it occurred to her that she had no way of guessing how many enemy ships were out there. They might be surrounded for all she knew. "But that doesn't make sense," she thought "If they have us surrounded why wouldn't they just finish us off? I just wish I knew where the landing bay was."

She glanced back at Varrik, the juvenile they'd picked up on the lower deck. Scar had bullied him into a sort of terrified obedience and now he walked behind her, casting furtive looks at their surroundings. He seemed calmer, but now she was more attuned to their species' behaviour she could tell he was afraid. She guessed he just didn't know what else to do and was content to follow orders, preferring to face the uncertain and distant threat of the invaders than the clear and present threat of a bigger, possibly-deranged male and an insidious, alien female to boot.

She was glad of the mask's thermal vision. The low-level night time lighting flickered on and off occasionally, a sign of the continuing conflict elsewhere on the ship? She wondered uneasily if the life-support systems would fail too. Then they would all be screwed.

This section of corridor had widened out into a bigger space and her ears pricked up as a crash echoed down the metal walkway. At once, all three of them stopped, listening intently. Following the crash there came a dull hammering noise. A series of hollow, metallic thuds resounded along the passage.

As they crept forward they leaned around the turn to see the huge, threatening shape of a Bad Blood standing at the doorway to another room at the far end of the corridor, slamming its fists and shoulder against it repeatedly. A quick look at the hieroglyphs stencilled onto the wall told her that this must be the infirmary. She could see three more standing behind him, watching with lazy amusement as he tried to break down the doors. She wondered for a second why they didn't use their plasma cannons – but they seemed to be enjoying taking their time over it.

It was unlikely that they could deal with that many on their own, but they had to get past them somehow unless they wanted to go back down to the quarter decks and find another way round. That would take even longer and there was no guarantee there wouldn't be even more down there. That was without even considering the fate of whoever was trapped in the infirmary.

"We can't shoot them from this distance," she thought "This gun is not good for precision shots that far off and nor are the plasma casters. Besides, there's no point in getting pinned down in a fire fight. We're outnumbered."

She glanced round in frustration and then her eye lit on the large grilles covering the air vents in the ceiling and floor of the tunnel.

She looked up at Scar _"Do you know if their clan hunts humans too?"_

" _Of course,"_ He said, then his tone turned suspicious as he followed her gaze and could guess what she was thinking _"Why?_

" _What do you say we lure them over with a little decoy?"_

He seemed dubious _"Will this involve you taking a stupid risk?"_

" _Not really."_ She smiled inside the mask _"Just do not screw it up and I will be fine."_

" _Why do you have to be the decoy? You know you cannot run now that you are so heavy."_ He growled _"Let me go."_

" _You cannot be the decoy, you have to be the trap!"_ She hissed back _"And anyway, you are a warrior. If you run away from them they might suspect something. I look the least threatening and I am only a subspecies to them."_ She thought for a moment, then asked _"Do you think they would scruple to kill me because I am pregnant?"_

" _No! And that is why you are not – "_

" _Good! Then they will not be expecting serious trouble and the less they expect, the better."_

He snatched her arm, gripping it tightly, a note of menace creeping into his voice _"I said NO!"_

" _You say 'no' do you?"_ Her chin came up defiantly _"When you are fighting someone bigger and stronger than you and you are outnumbered you have to fight dirty, take it from me. How else are we going to escape?"_ She said flatly _"Unless you have any better ideas?"_

Varrik was following the argument between the older male and the ooman anxiously, looking from one to the other. They glared at each other for a few seconds. Then, at almost the same moment, both heads turned to look at him. He felt his throat go dry all of a sudden.

* * *

The Bad Bloods didn't immediately notice when Varrik stepped out into the corridor. He wasn't wearing his mask or his weapons. The ooman female had explained it quickly to him, whilst the adult male – the one rumoured to have lost his mind – loomed threateningly over her shoulder. When she'd finished, he'd told Varrik in terse but incredibly graphic terms exactly what he would do if he didn't follow her instructions to the letter.

She'd said he had to try and look as non-threatening and scared as possible, to try and pretend he'd stumbled on them by accident so the Bad Bloods wouldn't be on their guard. It went sorely against his pride to show fear or weakness, but in truth he _was_ afraid, fearing his new allies as much as his enemies. _"Taking orders from a female – it is not right! I should have treated her with the contempt an ooman female deserves!"_ he thought, indignation momentarily prickling him through the fog of terror _"Except then I would have to face_ _ **him**_ _!"_ The thought made him shiver.

He stood there for a moment, willing them to look round but they were busy, revelling in the destruction they were causing. When they still failed to notice him, he made a low-pitched clicking sound, as if in surprise or dismay. All four of the massive figures turned at the noise. Their manner swiftly changed from surprise into one of unpleasant relish when they saw him.

" _I knew not that the lizard-skins kept their infants on board!"_ said one, in tones dripping with contempt.

" _I thought we had eaten them all already."_ Said another in leering tones.

" _Weaklings, invalids and children."_ Another shrugged _"This will be easier even than we expected!"_

The one at the door went back to his task whilst the other three began to move towards him, not too quickly. He froze, as if rooted to the spot by terror. It was important not to run too soon. Suddenly he knew how it felt to be the prey, shivering in the undergrowth, waiting for death to come. He waited until they'd covered almost half the distance between them. Then he turned and bolted, hearing their feet pounding the floor behind him as they took off in pursuit.

He didn't look back. He knew he was a fast runner but their longer stride meant that they were gaining on him and as he tore down the passage he could hear them closing the gap between them. If he had to go much further they would actually catch him. Seeing the darkened turning that led back to the living quarters coming up on his right, he suddenly veered off into the blackness. He'd only gone a few steps down the passage when two hands descended from above and seized him by the upper arms, yanking him up into a hole in the ceiling.

* * *

The three Bad Bloods rounded the corner, tearing down the passage they'd seen the juvenile take. They were enjoying the chase, despite the relative feebleness of the prey. They'd been hacking and slashing their way through the ship and were caught up in the frenzy of wholesale slaughter.

A little way inside they stopped and looked round in surprise. Their quarry was nowhere to be seen. As they gazed around in perplexity for a few seconds, they didn't hear Scar emerge silently from the ceiling vent only a few feet behind them, hanging upside down from the waist. He held both his and Varrik's plasma cannons, one gripped in each hand. Before they even had a chance to turn he'd shot two of them. One he blasted in the back of the head. At this range the Bad Blood was catapulted forwards, hitting the floor like a ton of bricks. The other he caught as it turned, the plasma blast cleaving through its chest. As it stared down at the bloody wreck of its ribcage, Scar shot the third. He only managed to catch it on the arm. Its shoulder exploded in a cloud of vaporised tissue but its plasma cannon was already swinging round.

The grille in the floor behind him flipped open and Lex rose up out of the ground. She shot the third Bad Blood, hitting him in the knee. As he fell she fired again, blowing away the legs of the second. It snarled and began to drag itself towards her along the floor. She pointed the gun at its forehead and pulled the trigger – nothing happened. The gun had jammed, she wrenched frantically at the mechanism, trying to dislodge whatever was stopping it.

Behind it she saw Scar uncurl himself out of the vent, holding on with one hand and dropping lightly onto his feet. He walked over to the supine bodies of the Bad Bloods. The one with the ruined chest he shot in the head as it still strove to pull itself within striking distance of her. It went limp, dropping lifeless on the deck. The remaining fighter was struggling unsuccessfully to operate its plasma cannon with its mangled arm. It growled and tried to get up as he pointed the gun in its face, the noise cut short by the blast

Lex finally managed to get the gun cocked and hauled herself of the vent. The stress of the situation was starting to tell on her. When the gun jammed, she'd felt a lurch in her abdomen. She was suddenly drenched in sweat and her heart was racing.

" _Only three?"_ She panted, doing a quick headcount of the casualties, _"I hoped they would all come."_

 _"Three dead, better than none."_ Scar shrugged and then peered at her more closely _"Your pulse is unusually elevated. You are not injured?"_

" _I will be fine."_ She said, waving him away as Varrik dropped out of the vent, masked and carrying his weapons _"The other might come when he hears the shots."_

As if on cue, they heard another crash and the noise of rending, tearing metal in the distance _"That sounded like the door of the infirmary."_ He said, handing Varrik his plasma cannon. His own he kept in his hand, not bothering to replace it on his shoulder.

They made their way stealthily back down the corridor. The door had been smashed open and the remaining Bad Blood was no longer to be seen. Noises of destruction came from inside. _"Come!"_ Scar turned to where Varrik was standing behind her _"You can cover me. I want you –"_ He nodded at her _" – to stay back here, out of the way."_

She nodded back wordlessly and leaned against the wall, breathing deeply.

He slunk over to the door and peered inside. The room had been totally trashed. In his limited line of sight a few mangled bodies lay amongst the debris of the shattered medical equipment. From this angle he couldn't see what was going on but he could hear the sounds of a struggle. He crept cautiously forward. As he cleared the doorway he saw the Bad Blood crouching with its back to him. It had another male of his species pinned down on the floor and it didn't notice him come in, intent on its victim. It was slowly carving him up with its wristblades while he struggled, helpless to free himself. He could hear the other male spitting curses at the thing in between stricken breaths as he tried to fight it off.

Moving up soundlessly behind it he levelled the gun at its head and fired, shattering the back of its skull. He didn't issue a challenge or give a warning – these things didn't deserve any such respect.

He heaved the mammoth carcass to one side. As it rolled over limply, he checked in dismay. He knew the face looking up at him with fading eyes. It was one he'd known ever since his first day on board the Shadow, one he'd last seen contorted with rage in this very room; R'Zuul. Scar stared; he'd forgotten that the squad leader was here.

" _S'Kia… it is you."_ His old mentor's voice gurgled in his throat, blood frothing at the corners of his mouth _"You took… your time. As usual."_

Scar was at a loss for words. Even a superficial glance told him R'Zuul was not going to live. His injuries were too severe. Huge, ghastly rents had been opened up in his side and his stomach.

" _Nothing...to say?"_ The squad leader gave a bubbling laugh that racked his body with a spasm of pain _"That is… unusual..."_

He dropped to his knees beside him _"R'Zuul, –"_ He stopped, struggling with the impossibility of speaking. R'Zuul was the one who'd taught him everything and the last time they'd spoken it had been a vicious argument. He remembered the awful accusations he'd made. Now he could noticed where one tusk was chipped and broken where he'd punched the squad leader the time he had told him about putting Lex in the pod. Suddenly confronted with him on the edge of the void, the memory was so shameful it almost made him flinch physically. He ripped off his mask in agitation and tried again _"R'Zuul I .. the way I spoke to you, it was disrespectful – "_

" _You always were… reckless… "_ R'Zuul grinned weakly _"Obviously I … did not beat you hard enough… when you were younger…"_

Scar shook his head, this was intolerable _"R'Zuul! I should not have done what I did! I should not have said those things -"_

" _No, you should not."_ R'Zuul cut him off, his eyes creased and he coughed up more blood _"Nevertheless …you are here… to revenge me. I am glad… that it is you S'Kia ... I know.._ _ **you**_ _will kill them all…"_

" _Yes R'Zuul I shall!"_ Scar hissed urgently, gripping R'Zuul by one bloodied shoulder _"You have my word!"_

The squad leader grinned again and then shuddered as if chilled by a sudden blast of cold air. His breath became more laboured, gasps that got slower, further apart. Scar watched his eyes, yellow like his own, as the pupils contracted and then were still, glazing over in death.

A noise from the doorway made him look up. The juvenile, Varrik, was standing there watching him uncertainly. Standing up, he pushed his mask back into place and walked slowly to the door. He paused for a moment, looking back at the infirmary, his fists clenched tightly.

" _Did you know him?"_ The smaller male said behind him. Scar turned to look at him. Varrik dipped his head nervously in a submissive gesture as the older hunter regarded him in silence for a moment. Then he shook his head vigorously for a moment, as if to clear it, and walked out.

* * *

Lex didn't immediately notice the change in Scar's behaviour when he emerged from the infirmary. She was too relieved to see him walk out of there in one piece and besides, she had her own problems. Her sudden shortness of breath had made her terrified that she might suddenly go into labour. She was trying to calm herself, to slow her pulse before stress and physical exertion forced the issue.

She followed after him along the walkway, moving carefully in case they ran into any more Bad Bloods. The juvenile trailed after them, still looking miserably uncomfortable. Scar was utterly silent, padding through the inky blackness – the only sound was the ever-present drone of the ships engines. After a while she touched him on the shoulder to get his attention. He halted but didn't turn, still scanning the way ahead for more enemies.

" _Scar, where are we going?"_ she whispered

He still didn't turn _"The control room."_ He said quietly _"We must be able to raise the alarm from there somehow – "_

" _Should we not be trying to find the shuttle bay, get out of here? This whole place could go up at any minute."_

" _No. We must stay and fight, to defeat this filth."_ His tone was strange, detached _"Besides, if we fly out of here what is to say they will not simply shoot us out of the sky?_

She was about to take issue with him but this comment gave her pause, because the same thought had also occurred to her _"And when we have raised the alarm – what then?"_

He said nothing but set off again down the corridor. She followed him and caught his arm again _"How do you even know where the control room is?"_

" _The ship layout is not very different from that of the Shadow."_ He said, his voice still curiously flat _"All of our ships are similar in this way. I can guess where the control room is."_

She didn't argue with him but as they moved the sense of foreboding grew in her mind. He'd been angry before, understandably so, but now he seemed to have retreated inside himself. This strange calm worried her. She wasn't sure what had been the catalyst for his sudden change of mood.

They moved up to the next deck, flattened against the wall, the tension almost unbearable. As they reached a crossroads in another stretch of metal corridor which looked just the same as all the others to her eyes, he halted and waved her and Varrik over. Opening his wrist-com she saw displayed on the tiny screen a schematic of the ship. He pinpointed a section with the tip of one claw.

" _The control room is here,"_ He motioned with one hand, indicating one of the turnings _"Round the next bend in this corridor."_

" _But how will we get in there?"_ Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear

her _"There will certainly be more Bad Bloods in the control room, if you say that is where they disabled the alarm."_

" _Yes,"_ He stroked the side of his mask with a talon, thinking _"You should stay here. We will go, take them by surprise."_

" _I am not staying here on my own!"_ She breathed urgently _"There must be a better way than simply charging in there._ She thought for a second, and then looked up at the grilles in the ceiling.

* * *

The venting tunnels were large enough that Lex could almost walk along it, if she bent her head down. Scar and the younger hunter were reduced to crawling as they were too tall to stand, but they moved with a frightening ease.

All three of them slowed down as they neared where she supposed the control room to be, taking care not to make any noise. She could hear voices faintly, rendered tinny and echoey as they bounced off the metal walls of the tunnel. As the neared the next grille the sound of talking got louder and she could distinguish the voices of several Bad Bloods. Their voices differed from the way the hunters of Scar's clan spoke. Instead of the big-cat rumble she'd come to know so well, they had a weird, droning quality, like the buzzing of insects. She could still just about understand them, but the phrasing they used was odd.

She and Scar dragged themselves, painstakingly slowly, nearer to the venting grille. Peering through the slots into the room she could see the huge, orangey-red shapes of two Bad Bloods. One of them was monitoring a small machine that they had hooked up to the central computer bank. A few bodies lay around. The total lack of heat told her they must have been dead a while.

Both of them turned at the sound of a door sliding open. Through the grille she saw that the door had opened but nobody stood outside. For a second she wondered if other hunters were springing some sort of ambush, but then something strange happened. A dim heat signal wavered into being in the doorway, floating into the room like a faint red willo-the-wisp. As they watched it grew larger, finally resolving itself into the huge figure of another Bad Blood, still fiddling with a control module attached to its arm. For a moment both of them stared in astonishment, one minute there was nothing there and then he'd suddenly appeared!

"How did he make himself invisible to my mask's thermal vision?" She thought, aghast. Then she noticed he had something strapped to his back, a large device of some kind _"_ That must be how they got onto the ship and into the control room without being detected!" She realised, turning to look at Scar. He was obviously thinking the same thing.

" _But why do they not all have it?"_ He said, as if picking up the train of her thoughts _"We could see those Bad Bloods down on the quarter deck easily enough. Why?"_

" _Who knows?"_ she shrugged _"These ones are all wearing those things on their backs but the others were not. Perhaps they only have a few devices."_

They fell silent as the droning voices of the Bad Bloods began again.

" _How goes it – are many of them living still?"_ The largest one asked the warrior at the controls.

" _We are working our way through the living decks."_ The controller replied _"It will take some time. Now the night patrols have been destroyed it will speed things up. I am trying to pin down which parts of this warren are the quarter decks. They seem to be scattered everywhere."_

" _Would that we did not have to spend any more time in this lizard hole."_ the third spat _"It makes my skin to crawl."_

" _A smaller party is essential for stealth."_ The largest replied (she'd mentally decided he must be the leader) _"Those crazy vermin might get wind of what is going on and detonate this ship like they did the last one!"_

At the mention of the Shadow, she felt Scar tense beside her. He gestured to Varrik and the juvenile crawled closer.

" _There is another vent opening further along,"_ He said quietly _"Get into position next to it, but do nothing until I give you the signal. Then we will attack them."_

" _Wait a minute,"_ she whispered urgently _"What about what we just saw? They have better stealth technology than yours – if they disappear we will be annihilated!"_

He was silent in thought for a moment, still peering through the slots in the grille.

" _Back on Earth,"_ She said slowly _"When it rained and your cloaking device got wet, it stopped working. Do they always do that?"_

" _Ha – yes!"_ He nodded _"Water tends to short-circuit them. If I could trigger the ships fire alert system as well, the dampeners might have the same effect. It is worth a try – but I still need to get to the control panel. Are you ready?"_

She nodded, shifting the pulse rifle into a more comfortable position in the crook of her arm.

" _We will get in there, make for the control panel. You cover us."_

Before she could say anything else, he'd drawn his plasma cannon and thrust out a fist knocking the vent cover out of the wall so that it crashed down inside the control room. The Bad Bloods turned in surprise. He shot the nearest one through the throat and dived for the floor, throwing him himself behind the bank of controls. Lex swore under her breath and retreated back further into the vent, hoping they couldn't see her – focussed as they were on him. Further down the room, Varrik burst through the vent cover nearest to him and dropped to the floor. As the Bad Bloods turned to face the new threat she broke cover for a moment and shot the second in the chest, the armour-piercing, steel slug ripping a huge hole, giving Varrik the few seconds he needed to duck behind the unit that powered the console. At that moment, the third activated his cloaking device. She fired a few shots at the space where he had been and dodged to one side just in the nick of time as a blast of plasma materialised out of the ether, lighting up the room and melting the metal where she'd been crouching a moment ago.

Varrik fired his own plasma cannon at the space where the shot had come from. A crackle of light and an infuriated roar told them he'd hit something but the answering fire that flashed over his head suggested he hadn't achieved a kill – only to wound it enough to affect its aim. Ducking around from behind the control bank, Scar fired again hitting the still-visible, injured Bad Blood in the head as it tried to rise from the floor. Almost immediately another blast of plasma screamed out of the empty air in his direction. The final Bad Blood was still alive and kicking. He threw himself flat and scrabbled back behind the cover of the controls. _"I have to operate the fire alert,"_ he thought _"If I leave it any longer that one who is cloaked will pick us all off one by one – or worse duck out of here and bring reinforcements."_

He looked up to where Lex was still concealed inside the vent. She was a sitting target up there now he realised and worse still, the controls he needed were on the other side of the room. This side of the room was mainly concerned with navigation, engine power and the like. All this flew through his head in a split second and spurred him into action _"I am going to make a break for the other control bank. Cover me Varrik."_ He breathed through the mask's intercom. He just had to hope the adolescent would do it. Saying a silent prayer to whatever gods hadn't deserted him long ago, he tensed his legs underneath him and leapt into the air. As he somersaulted across the room he saw a flash of bluish white light as the remaining Bad Blood fired at the spot where he'd emerged from behind the console, but it aimed too low and the volley passed underneath him, missing by inches. There was another flash as Varrik fired at the space where the blast had come from and the roar of the pulse rifle as Lex opened fire as well. Landing on the opposite bank of controls he punched the large twin green-lit panels that operated the fire and security alert systems. Almost immediately he was knocked to one side seemingly by the air as the Bad Blood cannoned into him. As the alarm system triggered several things happened: the whole room was bathed in red light and a deafening klaxon noise began to wail. At the same time, water began to hiss down out of the ceiling.

Scar's breath was driven out of his lungs as he hit the floor and he was suddenly covered in blood from his unseen opponent's injuries whilst it forced him onto the ground. As both of them were drenched in water from the fire dampeners his enemy's shape coruscated slowly into view in front of his eyes but he still couldn't quite make it out properly. He felt his fingers slipping on its wet skin as he tried futilely to hold it back, knowing that any moment it might knock his head from his shoulders, or stick him. Suddenly there was a loud noise and he was almost crushed by the dead weight of the creature that was gradually becoming visible in the overhead deluge. He cursed disgustedly and shook his head as vivid green blood began to pour down onto the front of his mask and onto his throat and chest from the ravaged stump of his attacker's neck. He jerked his head again, trying to clear his visor, and heaved at the heavy corpse. Eventually managing to roll it off him and onto the floor he drew his hand across his face to wipe away the gore that had accumulated across his vision.

When he looked up he saw Varrik standing over him, gun still pointing at the creature, breathing rapidly in the flashing green light of the ships security alarm. Getting to his feet, he put a hand on the adolescents shoulder and walked past him to where Lex was still crouched inside the vent, gun in hand. She slithered out of the vent feet first and dropped onto the wet floor.

" _Let us hope,"_ he said, having to shout to make himself heard over the alarm _"That there are enough of our fighters left alive to repel what remains of their invading force."_

" _The cloaking devices – are they destroyed? Will they all stop working now?"_ she asked, peering round him at the bodies on the floor.

" _How should I know?"_ He said, swiping the last of the brain matter from his faceplate and turning to inspect the huge corpse. Rolling it over onto its front he looked at the machine it carried, strapped across its back. It was larger and more cumbersome than the one his clan wore but it seemed to be operated in much the same way. _"It must be a fiendishly clever device if it can make them invisible to our thermal vision and EM impulse. The gods alone know how it works."_ He thought. Out loud he said _"Such things are beyond my understanding, I am no scientist!"_

" _And what is this thing?"_ Varrik was standing over by the small machine they'd found hooked up to the console.

" _Some sort of portable computer no doubt,"_ Scar shrugged _"To give them access to all the ships systems. Disable the alarms, trick the sensors, make themselves even more invisible to us…"_

He went over to the console and pressed a few controls to bring up the screen that monitored life signals and activity _"Look!"_ he flicked a talon at one part of the schematic of the ships layout where a collection of brighter red blips pulsated, mingling with a steadily growing crowd of green blips _"The main hall, the remainder of the invaders seem to be falling back to that point – that is the access to the main section of the quarter decks. And they are under attack from our forces – we must go and join them!"_

At that same moment the intercom on his mask crackled into life and he heard broken sentences and shouts, presumably from the fighters pouring into the hall just a short distance down the corridor. He pushed the release button on the door and after a brief check of the corridor outside he beckoned them to follow him. Varrik slipped out quickly but as Lex made to follow Scar turned and, without warning, pressed the control that closed the door from the outside. It hissed shut in her surprised face. Before she could push the opening control at the side of the doorway she heard a blast of plasma fire from the corridor and the control panel fizzed, crackled and fused. She reached out a hand but even before she had made contact, a spark leapt across the gap and she got a very mild electrical shock. She cursed and sucked her fingers.

"Scar! What the hell are you doing?" She yelled at him through the masks intercom.

" _You know what I am doing."_ His voice came back at her _"I am making sure that you stay here. Where you will be safe."_

"Open this door you bastard!" She yelled, outraged "You can't just leave me like this! Get back here and open this fucking door!"

" _No."_ His voice had that curious unemotional tone in it again _"You must stay here. I command it."_

"Scar!" She screamed furiously, hammering her palms against the dull, grey metal "Let me out of here you son-of-a-bitch!"


	14. Chapter 14

Scar could still hear her shouting insults at him in both his language and her own inside his mask as he and Varrik ran down the corridor in the direction of the great hall. The abuse mingled with the sounds of battle coming from down in the main chamber. He shut out her voice and focussed instead on scanning the corridor ahead for the enemy.

As they ran the noise got louder and louder. They rounded the corner of the passage and saw the doorway that gave out onto the balcony around the hall. Standing at the railing with its back to them was a Bad Blood. Motioning to Varrik to follow he crept towards it. Looking past it into the hall, the scene that met his eyes was utter pandemonium. Rough Skulls were fighting desperately to drive back the invaders, but although more and more of his own clan were arriving all the time they were at a disadvantage. Three of the leeches had ranged themselves along the balcony that ran around the hall and were cutting a swathe through the defenders, picking them off with ease even as they entered.

He looked at the Bad Blood, its attention was bent on killing members of his clan who were coming in through the main doors below. As its gun pivoted round, homing in on its next target, he stepped up behind it. He glanced from side to side – one to his left, one to his right. He made sure to keep back far enough inside the passageway that they would not see him until it was too late, but they were so intent on their prey they didn't notice. He glanced across at Varrik, who stood opposite him, flattened against the wall. He jerked his head towards the Bad Blood on the left and saw the juvenile nod, very slightly. He appeared quite collected, the fight in the control room seemed to have calmed him, given him confidence. Bringing up the muzzle of his own plasma cannon he fired, hitting the Bad Blood in the back. It pitched off the balcony. As the other attackers turned at the noise, he swung around and shot the Bad Blood on their right, hurling it backwards along the walkway. Behind him he heard Varrik shoot the sniper to their left.

Springing up on the railing, he balanced there for a moment staring down at the struggling mass of bodies in the hall. For a second it seemed like he was suspended in a perfect void, the noises of battle drowned out by the silence in his head. Then he leapt, crashing down feet first onto the enemy directly beneath them. Hitting it in the shoulders with his full weight, he plunged his dah'kte into its spine as it smashed into the floor. Springing from atop its corpse onto the floor he saw Bad Bloods closing in on both sides. As the seductive delirium of battle crept over him, it seemed like their throats were offering themselves up to his blades willingly.

* * *

Lex stopped spitting insults at Scar and thought for a moment. She decided she'd better stop making so much noise. It wasn't getting her anywhere and it might draw attackers to the room. She glanced up at the venting tunnel they'd climbed in through. The Bad Blood's plasma blast had melted and fused the metal walls of the aperture leading off to the right to the point where she could not have wriggled through into the vent beyond. Standing on tiptoe and pulling herself up into the vent, an exploration of the left hand aperture revealed that the tunnel shrank down smaller and eventually became a dead end. The only vent tunnel running off it was a sheer drop vertically down into a darkness so deep that none of the masks vision settings could penetrate all the way to the bottom.

She dropped out of the vent onto the floor and wandered over to the main console turning over and over in her mind what had just happened. She was still seething at Scar's sudden betrayal – it felt like a betrayal anyway: locking her in here against her will and leaving her behind. She'd been hoping that once the alarm had been raised she might be able to persuade him that it was time for them to make their escape, let the rest of the clan finish the fighting.

"Of course the stupid Bonehead is never going to run away from a battle!" She brooded "OK, so he's a macho idiot – I knew that already – but he's trying to protect me, isn't he?" She began to pace the room, unable to shake off the sense of dread that was growing in her mind "I don't like the way he's been acting since he went into that infirmary. What if he gets himself killed out there?"

Standing over the console she squinted at the display on the screen. The green blips seemed to be gradually outnumbering the red ones. These controls seemed not to be too different to those on the shuttle. She pressed a few buttons, flicking through the different security cameras, trying to see if she could view what was going on in the hall on the screen. Images of corridors flickered across the screen, some of them empty, some of them filled with bodies. In none of them could she see Scar.

Her head twisted round as she heard a muffled thudding boom. The surface of the door shuddered as another blow struck it – it was under attack from outside. She looked desperately around the room. Still no obvious escape route presented itself. The metal was starting to buckle already.

"I should've known they'd try and get back in, this is the control room!" She cursed "What the hell was he thinking, trapping me in here?"

She checked her weapons, the plasma gun was operational still but she wasn't sure how many rounds were left in the pulse rifle and she had no spare ammo to reload. Casting around desperately for an escape route she backed away against the far wall, guns trained on the bulging surface of the door. To her horror she heard the sound of plasma shots and the warping metal eventually exploding inwards, fragments of molten alloy spattering onto the deck as a huge ragged hole appeared.

A huge masked head protruded through the gap and she fired, but the thing jerked backwards out of range at the noise and the shot hit the ruined doorframe in a shower of sparks. She levelled the gun again but as she did so a throwing star flew through the opening and rebounded, hitting her own plasma cannon. It was knocked out of her grip and skittered across the floor, far out of her reach. She yelped and grabbed the pulse rifle just as the gargantuan figure of the Bad Blood heaved itself through the hole in the door. As its plasma cannon swung round towards her, she blasted it in the shoulder with the pulse rifle – knocking the gun from its mounting and tearing into its flesh. It bellowed with rage, surging forward into the control room. There wasn't time to get the plasma gun back and she had no way of knowing if it would still work with the throwing star embedded in the barrel so she scrambled desperately into the vent. Sheer adrenalin gave her the strength to heave herself back up the wall in a matter of seconds and she scrambled as fast as she could down the passage, in the direction of the downward tunnel. The hands of the Bad Blood scrabbled at the metal where her feet had been moments before. It roared again and tried to pull itself into the tunnel in its hunger to get at her. She retreated back further, the vent shrinking smaller the further she went. It followed slowly, moving with difficulty in the confined space. Lifting the pulse rifle to defend herself, she pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Work – damn you!" She screamed and pulled desperately at the mechanism, hoping against hope that it was merely jammed again "Come on, come on!" she pleaded, but a brief inspection of the chamber confirmed her worst fears – it was out of bullets. As the growling thing dragged itself closer. She moved her hands to the dart launcher trigger and fired. The big, black dart shot out and stuck in the hollow between the Bad Blood's shoulder and its neck. It bellowed at her. The noise hurt her ears as it echoed round the metal walls of the vent tunnel, the thing increasing its frenzied attempts to reach her. It was so angry that it actually managed to shoulder part of the damaged metal wall aside, bending it to make a wider opening.

She fired again and again. Three of the darts lodged in its arms and shoulders but the gun was now empty. She wobbled unsteadily as her heels came right up against the edge of the downward vent. There was nowhere else to go but the long drop into the darkness. She let the useless gun clatter to the floor and unsheathed her dah'kte, wondering frantically how long it would be before the tranquilisers took effect. She remembered it had taken about half an hour for Scar to go under, but she had no way of knowing if they would even work on a hunter as big as this one. She eyed the hole in desperation, she could try and climb down, but if she fell – an involuntarily shriek escaped her as huge, clawed hands scrabbled at the metal only a few feet away.

* * *

Down in the main hall, Scar's head jerked up suddenly and he froze as he heard Lex scream through the masks intercom. Around him, the tide of the battle had turned. The corpses of the invaders were piling up steadily and the defenders of his own clan were engaged in wiping out the few that remained.

In his ear he could hear Lex's voice panting, her breathing coming out in harsh gasps and in the background an infuriated roar. The noise cut through his killing frenzy and he pulled his blades from the corpse of an enemy, letting it topple to the ground. A chill ran through him and for the first time since his infancy he knew the sickening grip of real fear.

Without a backward glance he turned and ran towards the passage that led to the control room. Scaling up the wall to the balcony like a spider he vaulted over the railing and sprinted down the corridor back towards the source of the noise, her screams resounding maddeningly in his ears. To him it seemed they were becoming more frantic with every passing second. Each new shriek was like a knife in his brain as he ran faster than he'd ever done before _"What the hells is happening to her?"_ he thought as he ran _"Why in the name of stupidity did I leave her trapped in there on her own?"_

As he neared the control room he could see even from a distance the ruined door, just as he'd seen at the infirmary. Dreading what he might see next, he plunged inside and saw the Bad Blood trying to squeeze itself into the vent. Incensed beyond reason he seized hold of it by the waist. Hauling it bodily out of the opening, he threw it across the room, sending it smacking into the wall. Too enraged to even think of using his weapons or exercise any caution at all, he punched it hard in the face, cracking its faceplate. The Bad Blood fell back under the onslaught, staggering as he hit it again and again, smashing its head on the wall with his bare hands. He saw that its claws and wrist-blades were smeared with red, human blood but that just infuriated him even more. In the grip of his fury he didn't even think it strange that the giant seemed unable to mount a serious counter-attack. It tried to hit him, but it seemed disorientated. The struggle ended when it finally toppled to the floor, sliding down the wall into unconsciousness. Immediately he turned towards the vent, stomach clenched in a poisonous knot.

To his almost overwhelming relief he saw Lex's masked face emerge cautiously from the ravaged vent opening. When she saw it was him she dragged herself into view and held out her arms to him, beckoning him.

He went over and seized her outstretched fingers, the first part of her he could reach. Her tiny, human hands were totally engulfed by his larger ones. He gripped them tightly for a moment, to reassure himself that he could feel the blood pulsing in them. Then he pulled her out of the vent, probably too quickly but he wanted to look at her. She'd been injured – he could see it now. Bright, red claw marks and blade cuts scored her arms and legs and she was trembling with adrenalin, but her dah'kte blades were also green with blood. Now he glanced at the Bad Blood's arms he could see the injuries she'd inflicted. It had lost a finger or two.

" _Speak! You are not… badly hurt are you?"_ He'd fully expected to come in and find her either dead or dying – fatally wounded like R'Zuul or just a broken, bloodied heap like the juveniles on the lower deck.

"I'll be OK in a moment." She mumbled in English, so indistinctly that he could hardly understand her. He pulled off her mask so that he could study her face. She didn't try to stop him. Her skin was almost grey and covered in sweat. Her eyelids fluttered in a way that suggested she might pass out. "My injuries aren't serious, it's just…." She winced as a spasm of pain passed through her, that horrible lurch in her abdomen again. _"Put me down._ " She said eventually _"I will be alright."_

He lowered her reluctantly to the floor, setting her on her feet. She leaned against him for a moment, then stood unaided, still swaying unsteadily. A sound made him look round. The Bad Blood had shifted slightly where it had collapsed against the wall, though it was obviously still unconscious. For the first time he noticed the darts sticking out of its shoulders.

He looked back at Lex. As he regarded the garish, bloody cuts on her arms and her shaking legs, he felt a tingling sensation in his brain as if it were full of bubbles. _"It was going to kill her,"_ he thought _"A pregnant female! It was going to kill her and my offspring along with her."_

The hissing and fizzing inside his skull became more intense, mounting higher and higher, louder and louder, until he thought he couldn't bear it. Then all at once, the awful noise ceased and all was still. He stood up straight, suddenly decisive, and walked over to the Bad Blood. Taking hold of its arms he began to drag it along the floor down to the main hall. It was heavy but he didn't care. He heard Lex calling after him, asking what he was doing. He ignored her and continued down the corridor until he reached the hall. All was quiet in there now, apart from the buzz of talk which stopped when he appeared on the balcony. He looked down to see members of his own clan crowded around. Gazing about he could see many of them were wounded, there were also a great many of their bodies mixed up with that of the invaders.

" _S'Kia!"_ Someone called from down in the hall, looking for the source of the noise he realised it was Rika, Varrik standing next to him. Scar said nothing but continued to drag the unconscious Bad Blood along the walkway towards the stairs _"S'Kia, you crazy bug fucker – what are you doing?! It is over – do you not realise? We are victorious!"_

Scar ignored him, but carried on lugging the body down the the bottom he slung the Bad Blood on the floor, looking up into the puzzled faces of the other hunters as they approached him cautiously. Even though he had technically saved all their lives, he noted contemptuously that they were still reluctant to come near him. Only Rika walked over without hesitation and smacked him in the shoulder _"What is wrong with you? We have won – we are alive and the leeches are all dead! We have their ship. And from what that juvenile Varrik has been saying they should make you a captain!"_

Scar didn't respond to his friend's manner. Instead he nodded to two of the other unharmed hunters who were standing nearby, watching him. _"You two! Take this…. thing and string it up from that balcony by_ _its arms and legs."_ He jerked his head towards the unconscious Bad Blood. When they didn't immediately move he made as if to lunge at them _"Now!"_ he snarled.

Both of them lowered their heads in submission and busied themselves following his of the corner of his eye he saw Lex emerge from the corridor onto the balcony and turned to watch her as she made her way down the steps. She was no longer shaking and pale – the emotionless mask was back in place – at the sight of the bloody wounds and scratches on her skin his brow drew down and he growled deep in his throat.

" _S'Kia, it is over!"_ Rika said in an undertone, taking hold of his arm _"The leech is out cold – either despatch him or put him in the brig and let the council deal with him."_

Scar didn't answer him. Instead he looked at the unconscious Bad Blood as the other two males hoisted it up by the arms and drew a long, thin knife, fingering the point of the blade thoughtfully.

* * *

The Bad Blood woke up when Scar punched it hard in the jaw. He'd taken off its mask and its armour. He'd also pulled the darts out of its shoulder, not wanting any residual sedatives they might contain to prolong its unconsciousness. Its head rolled from one side to the other for a moment and then its little red eyes snapped open, focussing on him.

Lex, standing behind him at a safe distance, regarded its face with distaste. Without its mask she could see now why the Rough Skulls called them leeches. Looking at him and Scar side by side you could see they were a similar species, but there were significant differences. Its jaws were bigger and opened out wider, so that the mouth always gaped open slightly, revealing the wet, pink interior in a way that was faintly obscene. The forehead was different too, criss-crossed with many veiny lines. Instead of the big, heavy, ridged brows that Scar's clan had, this one's brow simply swept back straight into his neck. The overall effect did remind her of a leech or maybe some sort of weird, undersea life-form.

It struggled for a moment but it needn't have bothered. It was spread-eagled, hanging by its pinioned arms that were tied securely to the railings of the balcony. Its legs were also bound – pulled taut and secured to the floor by chains that had been skewered into place.

It raised its chin to look at him angrily. _"Release me … insect!"_ it rasped _"Or I will make you regret it!"_

Scar looked up calmly into the blazing eyes _"I think not."_ He said slowly _"I rather think it is you who will regret coming here."_

" _Coward!"_ The Bad Blood hissed _"You only dare to threaten me as I am tied up. If you had any courage you would fight me honourably. You only defeated me because I was drugged by your pet ooman!"_

" _Oh yes, I remember,"_ Scar raised his brows, his voice was quite calm but with an odd undertone _"You were going to kill her, yes? And she is so much smaller than you. And pregnant."_

" _And so?!"_ It snarled at him _"When I get free from here you little vermin, I will strip the skin from her back and rip the young from her living body – before I kill you."_

" _Skin her?"_ Scar sounded almost amused, eyes glowing.

" _Yesss, peel her like a piece of fruit!"_ The Bad Blood grinned, bloody saliva drooling from its jaws _"Then I will deal with you, pathetic excuse for a male!"_

Scar cocked his head on one side, as if considering _"I think that is not what is going to happen. I think, instead, you are going to tell me all about your cloaking devices that can make you invisible to our thermal vision and your plans to destroy us – before I kill you."_

" _What makes you think that?"_ The Bad Blood gurgled with laughter.

" _Because I am going to give you two options,"_ Scar purred softly _"You are going to die. But I can make it easy or I can make it very difficult. If you tell me –"_

" _I fear not pain!"_ The Bad Blood growled, jutting its head forward.

" – _all I wish to know,"_ Scar continued, ignoring it _"I will kill you quickly. It is more than you deserve. If you do not… you will suffer."_

" _I care not for your threats!"_ The invader howled _"Do what you wish, you cannot frighten me into betraying my clan!"_

Lex watched Scar uneasily. She wasn't sure what he was planning but an unpleasant suspicion was forming in her mind. The room was very quiet, despite many of the males of Scar's clan who remained, looking on. Scar shrugged and, drawing his long knife, looked the creature up and down for a moment as if considering. Then he stepped forward and drew the blade of the knife up the inside of the Bad Bloods calf in a business-like way, the point only cutting an inch or so into the dark flesh. He made the shallow cut all the way from its ankle to its knee. Then he began cutting round the knee joint, making the same shallow incision all the way round the circumference of the leg. The creature didn't make any noise, but its jaws clenched together in pain and its leg jerked and trembled as it struggled to pull itself free. Through it all Scar was utterly silent, showing no more emotion than if he were butchering a pig, something she'd seen him do many times. He just carried on unhurriedly cutting. It took a few minutes for him to work his way all around the limb back down to the ankle.

Lex watched in stunned revulsion. She'd thought herself inured to violence by now but watching the thing suffer was truly horrible. It was like a nightmare, and try as she might she couldn't tear her eyes away. She wanted to tell him to stop, but the words somehow froze in her throat. She could see that he wouldn't listen. He was in the grip of something she didn't understand.

When he'd finished cutting to his satisfaction Scar took a hold of the bleeding edge of the skin and pulled. There was a sickening sound of rending tissue and the hide of the Bad Blood's calf came away in one big, bloody, piece. The creature's huge frame shook. It clenched its jaws even tighter to try and stop from making any noise, its breathing laboured with pain, but finally an agonised grunt escaped it.

Scar raised his fist in front of the Bad Blood's face, shaking the flayed section of skin that dangled from it like a gory piece of rubber so that drops of blood rained down onto the metal deck. He brought his own face close to the stricken creature's head so that he could speak softly in its ear.

" _Still do not feel like talking to me?"_ He hissed. The Bad Blood shook its head, still twitching with shock _"Are you sure? Because this is going to get worse. And you are so big, it is going to take me a long time to get it all off."_

There was a ripple of nasty laughter from some of the watching crowd of hunters. Of those that remained silent, many stood smirking or looking on with grim satisfaction. Rika was one of the few who did not share their amusement but watched his friend uneasily.

" _Nar'Jat will not like this, S'Kia!"_ He said quietly.

" _That is right,"_ Another male, one called Vassir said _"The council will want to interrogate him themselves, will they not? They will be displeased if you kill him!"_

Scar turned on them with a demonic glare _"Where is Nar'Jat? Or the council? They are not here!"_ He snarled _"But I am here. So I would shut your jaws, unless you both want to fight me as well! Besides,"_ He added nastily _"I plan to keep him alive for some time yet…"_

* * *

Lex walked quickly down the corridor, away from the main hall. She didn't want to run in case she drew attention to herself. Only when she knew she was out of earshot and there was no-one else around she wrenched off her mask as she doubled up. Leaning her hands against the wall she vomited onto the deck, heaving until there was nothing left in her stomach. Then she burst into silent tears, sliding to her knees and covering her face with her hands.

Her mind was reeling in horror. She simply couldn't bring herself to accept that Scar could do something so awful to another living thing, one of his own kind no less. She'd seen him kill before, other humans even, but it had always been in the heat of battle. This was different.

It wasn't even as if he'd seemed to take any kind of sadistic pleasure from it, unlike some of the onlookers who'd been standing round urging him on, but somehow the detached way he'd tortured the Bad Blood had disturbed her more. He just kept on implacably inflicting pain until it told him the information he wanted.

She hadn't been able to stay and watch to the end, it was unbearable. Even some of the other hunters had seemed uncomfortable. She could hardly believe that he was the same person she'd known all this time. Of course she'd always known deep down that he'd never travelled very far from the violent credo of his species, but sometimes he was so unlike them she'd ignored the aspects of his personality that she didn't wish to see. Now, witnessing his cold-blooded cruelty with her own eyes, she felt sickened.

She stayed on her knees for a while until she was sure she wasn't going to vomit any more, unable to think clearly. When she raised her eyes and looked around her, she could barely see her surroundings through the fog of misery. It took her a few minutes to realise that she was back outside the control room again. At first, she was too desolate to do anything except stare at the door in front of her "I have to get away from here!" She thought "I thought I could do this but I can't! I have to escape from him – he's totally insane!"

Gradually as she sat looking at the door an idea began to take shape in her mind. "I have to get out of here before he realises what I'm planning or he'll never let me go!" she thought "Now! Whilst they are all distracted." She pushed herself to her feet and staggered into the control room, looking down at the corpses of the invaders she bit her lip. They were still wearing their cloaking devices. They looked heavy and unwieldy but God knew one of these things would come in handy if she was to get off this ship before Scar caught up with her. The line of her jaw hardened in determination as she went to the nearest body and began hurriedly tugging at the straps that held the device on its back.

* * *

Lex finally managed to drag the rest of her stuff on board the Umbra. She'd wanted to leave as quickly as possible but she'd had sufficient presence of mind to realise that it would do no good to go without food, water, weapons or clothes. That meant picking her way back through the blood soaked quarter deck to the room and gathering up her belongings. At any moment she'd expected Scar or some other hunter to accost her, ask what she was doing. If she saw anyone but him, she reasoned she could just lie, but she knew Scar would be immediately suspicious. He knew her too well.

The Bad Blood's cloaking device she had strapped across her own back now. It was heavy, but not unmanageably so. If she hadn't been pregnant it wouldn't have been a problem at all but as things stood it did slow her down.

She chose the Umbra because it was the shuttle she was certain she knew how to fly. The controls on the others were probably not too different but she decided it was better to be on the safe side. She checked the ships engines, life-support, fuel supply and other systems before take off and when she was satisfied, flipped the control that began to open the huge landing bay doors. She did all this almost on automatic, scarcely daring to think about what she was doing. A superstitious, irrational dread seized her that if she thought about it consciously Scar would somehow know what she was planning.

She sat in the pilots chair as the Umbra blasted off into space and bit her nails anxiously. Even now, part of her wanted to turn the ship around and go back, just forget all about what he'd done. After all, he was her only ally – without him she was utterly alone. She found her hand hovering over the controls to turn the shuttle more than once but she forced herself not to. She guessed that she could probably reach Earth or some other planet with an atmosphere within a week or two and she had enough supplies to last until then.

She sat watching the stars slide past, until the crushing weight of fear and misery caused her vision to blur again. She shuddered and pulled the jaguar skin more tightly round her shoulders.

* * *

Scar was virtually asleep on his feet when he arrived back at his room on the living deck. The rest of the clan were exultant and after a battle was one of the few occasions when widespread intoxication was even tolerated. The council had been pleased with him for getting the information they wanted. He'd watched detachedly for a while as other males got legless – either working themselves into a frenzy of excitement or numbing the pain of their injuries with the strong, clear liquid that was the main drug of choice for his species. Officially of course, stupefying oneself with toxins was not ever permitted (what use would you be to the clan then), but there was always some ingenious individual who would use whatever ingredients they could find to make the stuff and usually it wasn't too hard to get hold of it. Technically it was what humans would call moonshine, and it was lethal – usually any adult male would only require about 100 ml to become thoroughly drunk. Not being used to it and having a problem metabolising alcohol anyway, his was not a species who could hold their liquor.

He'd left as soon as he could extricate himself, picking his way past insensible bodies, and made his way back to the quarter deck. He was exhausted, his mind numbed by hours of exertion and violence. He almost felt like he was waking up after an illness. His recall of the fight and its aftermath were somewhat confused, like a fever dream. Whenever he tried to piece it together chronologically the strands of it kept drifting away from him. Muddled snippets of memory filtered through; R'Zuul's dead eyes; blood pouring down onto his face until it filled up his vision; Lex screaming in his ear; that leech bastard screaming for mercy for days on end, or so it had seemed to him _. "Why could he not just tell me?"_ He thought dully _"Why did he make me do all of that to him?"_

He pushed the control to open the door, stepping wearily over the body of the invader that lay just outside the threshold. He would deal with him after sleep. He hadn't seen Lex in a few hours. He guessed that she'd slipped out of the great hall at some point whilst he was interrogating the Bad Blood and thought she would probably have come back here to rest.

Normally such weakness would have disgusted him but he supposed he couldn't blame her. Surely she was to be admired for withstanding so much stress and suffering so near the end of her pregnancy.

Disappointed flooded him when he opened the door and the room was empty. Not that he would ever had admitted it to anyone, but the events of the past few hours had stretched him to the very limits of his endurance. All he wanted to do was be near to her and go to sleep. For some reason he couldn't explain, he craved physical contact with her, to still the buzzing noise that had started up again inside his brain.

He sat on the bench and ran his hands through his plaits, which were stiff with congealed gore. Every inch of his skin was thickly smeared with blood and filth. Bits of flesh clung to his armour and under his talons, but he was too tired to go and wash it off as he knew he should. He was too tired to sleep or think or do anything other than stare at the floor. After a little while his eye was drawn to something lying in the middle of the room. He had been too burned out to register it on his way in but now he realised he'd been staring at the thing for a while without really seeing it. Frowning he reached down and picked it up. Now he could see it was Lex's wrist-com. Why was it here, on the floor?

He sat looking at it in perplexity, turning it over in his talons. Had someone taken her prisoner? Maybe there were some of the enemy lurking on this deck, undetected… but there was no other sign of a struggle inside the room.

After a while an unwelcome idea began to steal over him. Getting up sluggishly he went to the compartment in the wall where she kept her belongings; clothes, boots, weapons, and wrenched it open. It was empty of all her things. The rest of the room was the same, not a single item of hers remained, except the gauntlet. He stood leaning against the wall and looking down at the cylinder of metal that lay in his outstretched palm.

" _Who would take her possessions? Has this been left here deliberately for me to find?"_ He tried to bludgeon his tired brain into some sort of rational thought _"I should go and look for her, what if she has been taken prisoner … but no, that does not make sense."_ He thought, brow wrinkling as he tried to concentrate _"Even if she were taken prisoner, why would anyone bother to take her things as well?"_

Suddenly the realisation struck him, with such force that he almost staggered: _she_ had taken them. It could only have been her! With total clarity he understood that the only reason she would clear everything out like this would be if she was planning on leaving. Not just leaving the ship – she surely could've told him about that – leaving him. And she had left the wrist-com behind because she knew he could use it to find her.

His fist tightened around it until the metal edge began to cut into his palm. Until the blood began to dribble down his wrist, mingling with the flaking grime already plastered on his skin.

* * *

It was some hours later when Nar'Jat and Khurshad came to find him. They made their way down the corridor of the quarter deck. The lights were still flickering on and off occasionally, the Void Cutter's systems not being entirely restored to normal running. They picked their way down corridors littered with bodies, both Bad Blood and Rough Skull. They'd come in search of Scar, to talk to him about his part in repelling the invaders and getting them the information they wanted.

As they entered the passage that contained the room occupied by Scar and the ooman, Nar'Jat noted that the walls were splattered with a large amount of blood – even more so than the rest of the ship. The Bad Blood's corpses in particular seemed to have been severely mutilated and all of them had obviously been decapitated. Their heads were nowhere to be seen, which was strange.

When they reached Scar's quarters, the door was open but the interior was too dark to see inside since neither of them was wearing his mask. Nar'Jat reached inside the door and pressed the control to bring up the lights, but nothing happened. They stepped inside cautiously. After a second or two, they could make out that Scar was standing with his back to them at the window, head and splayed talons resting against the glass. The room was in chaos. Every piece of furniture had been wrecked or bent out of shape, the walls were dented from many frenzied blows and every single lighting panel had been smashed. Bits of broken glass, weaponry and armour were strewn over every inch of the floor.

" _S'Kia?"_ Khurshad began _"What in all the hells…"_ he trailed off as Scar turned slowly in the direction of the noise.

" _What do youuuu warrnt?"_ The younger male snarled aggressively. It was obvious that he was blind drunk. Now that the eyes of both council members adjusted to the dim light, they saw that the room was not just littered with broken bits of furniture and glass. A strange charnel smell hung in the air, making Nar'Jat turn to look for the source. He soon found it. The walls and floor were sticky with blood and in the corner there lay the decapitated heads of many Bad Bloods, the deck underneath them stained with phosphorescent green smears. Nar'Jat guessed now that this must be what had happened to the bodies out in the corridor. Now he came to look at him, Scar seemed to be even more bloodied than when he'd last seen him up in the main hall.

Scar glared at the two senior males belligerently as they gazed around the room in mounting puzzlement. For the first time in his short life, he was utterly plastered. Since discovering Lex's wristcom on the floor of the room he'd ventured back out into the ship. A cursory inspection of the landing bay confirmed his worst suspicions. The Umbra was gone – he guessed she had taken it. There could be no other explanation. After that it had taken him very little time to locate several small containers of liquid intoxicant. At least for today, he only had to give an order to have it obeyed. Whether this was due to fear or respect or both he neither knew nor cared. He dragged himself back to his quarters, unable to face speaking to anyone else and drank them all one after another until he could no longer see straight.

Now he was barely coherent. He began to realise the intruders were still there, still looking at him.

" _Oh… jusssst get…out!"_ He said swaying, his voice thick with booze _"Leave me alone!"_

" _Silence, drunken moron!"_ Khurshad barked at him _"What in the name of the Blood God have you been doing? This place stinks like a slaughter house – "_

" _Khurrrrrrrshad,"_ Scar's voice lowered to a threatening hiss as he recognised the older male _"I did not see you fight in the main hall – did you have a more pressssssing engagement?"_

Nar'Jat held up a cautionary hand to cut off Khurshad's furious reply, though he could feel his second in command boiling silently next to him. It was obvious to him that Scar was beyond inebriated and, in all probability, was not aware of what he was saying. Drunken rampages were not unknown in a society where alcohol was so infrequently used – the younger males just weren't used to it – but several things about this scenario bothered the clan leader. Mutilating the bodies of the dead to take trophies – that was perfectly acceptable – but dragging stinking pieces of carrion into ones sleeping quarters? This was definitely not normal behaviour. He'd always thought Scar unpredictable and erratic but now he thought perhaps he'd underestimated how deranged the younger male truly was.

" _What are you doing S'Kia?"_ He said, as if conversing perfectly normally _"You have helped us win a great victory – but you are not happy."_

" _What are you talking about?"_ Scar stared at him for a few seconds, as if confused. Nar'Jat saw now how bloodshot his eyes were, the veins standing out green and vivid against the yellow. Then he began to laugh, hysterically, leaning over and clutching his ribs. The two council members watched him in astonishment, waiting whilst his laughter gave way to stuttering heaves.

" _You think I should… be happy about… that?"_ He gasped, fixing them both with a venomous glare _"You know nothing…"_

Nar'Jat and Khurshad exchanged a glance _"You should be happy for this opportunity to prove your loyalty the clan."_ Nar'Jat said quietly.

" _Fuck the clan!"_ Scar spat _"Get out and leave me alone!"_

" _Why are we wasting our time speaking to this ...lunatic?"_ Khurshad snorted in disgust _"You would get more sense out of his ooman pet – "_

At his last words Scar's voice became a menacing growl and he lurched unsteadily forward, squaring his shoulders as he faced Khurshad.

" _Do not everrr mention herrrrr in my presence again!"_ He hissed, eyes bulging madly, the tendons standing out like cords in his neck _"Or I will_ _ **kill**_ _you wherrrre you stand!"_

" _How dare you threaten me, you deviant?!"_ Khurshad roared at him _"I should have killed you back on board the shuttle!"_

" _Come on then imbecile!"_ Scar slurred back _"I would welcome death at yourrrr hands if I thought you were actually capable of it!"_ At this disrespect, Khurshad bellowed with rage and struck Scar across the jaw, knocking him violently backwards against the wall. Scar recovered his balance surprisingly fast for one who'd appeared incapable with drink only seconds ago and leapt for Khurshad's throat. He hit the senior male in the chest and slammed him into the door frame. Khurshad gagged, partly because one of the younger hunter's hands was tightening around his throat and partly because of the overpowering smell of alcohol mingled with the sickly scent of dead flesh that clung to him. Scar's eyes glittered crazily as he tried to get both his hands into throttling position, obviously not seeing what was in front of him. Luckily, he was too inebriated to get a grip and Khurshad had the advantage of being relatively sober, although he was still having trouble fending him off.

There was a hollow thud and Scar's grip suddenly went slack as Nar'Jat brought a torn part of the metal sleeping bench down on the back of his head. The lights went out in his eyes and he crumpled onto the floor. Khurshad unsheathed his own wrist-blades and would have finished him off when Nar'jat put a restraining hand on his arm.

" _You cannot mean to let him live!?"_ His second-in-command fumed _"After what he said to me!?"_

" _He is not here, his mind is off… wandering in void. Let him sleep it off."_ Nar'Jat shook his head.

" _He insulted your honour and mine! Him!"_ Khurshad spat. He was shaking with anger, but his deference to Nar'Jat meant that he made no further move towards the comatose younger male.

" _He will not remember – and nor should you."_ His leader said calmly, holding up one talon to still any further protest _"If it were not for him it is very likely this whole ship would have been destroyed just like the Shadow, did you consider that?"_

" _We would have fought them off somehow. In the name of all that is holy, why do you always allow this maniac such license when he shows us no respect?!"_

Nar'Jat shook his head wearily _"Do you think I do it for his benefit? Khurshad, you more than any other should know I never throw away useful things – and S'Kia has been very useful."_ He sighed and gazed down at the younger male's unconscious form, considering _"You saw and heard how he flayed the leech alive – tore his skin right off his living body?"_ Khurshad subsided mutinously and nodded, waiting for his superior to go on " _More than half the ship is in fear of him, even more so now. I do not pretend to understand what drives him but – "_

" _It is the ooman witch!"_ Khurshad burst out, unable to contain himself any longer.

" _Hrrmmm."_ Nar'Jat sounded thoughtful _"I wonder what has become of her. Perhaps she died in the battle."_

" _Or S'Kia killed her!"_ Khurshad said with feeling _"If he has at least that is one sane thing he has done!"_

" _Perhaps."_ Nar'Jat looked down at Scar again _"As for him, anything that strikes fear into the heart of our enemies is a weapon I will not easily relinquish. Do you understand?"_

Khurshad nodded, more uncertainly this time. He'd always found Nar'Jat's intelligence intimidating. It was why he was the leader and Khurshad the lieutenant, even though Khurshad was bigger and stronger. As long as he could remember, Nar'Jat had always been the same. His skills as a warrior were underpinned by an unscrupulous intellect that used others for its own ends with total, cold-blooded ruthlessness. Khurshad found his thoughts difficult to fathom but followed him, for the most part unquestioningly.

" _We have their ship. We have their cloaking devices. We now know how they got onto the Shadow undetected."_ Nar'Jat continued _"But better than any of this we know their strategy. If the information S'Kia gained is correct, they are planning a major offensive on our territory and we now know which of our planetoids they are using as a base, doubtless concealed by this new technology…."_

" _What is in your mind?"_ Khurshad said.

" _Clearly, we must send a squad to Hirai where the Bad Bloods are preparing their shock troops."_ Nar'Jat placed a hand on his arm _"And I think you are the one to lead it."_

" _Yesssss!"_ Khurshad's eyes fairly glowed at the prospect _"Let me go there – I will grind them into powder!"_

" _And you will take S'Kia with you,"_ Nar'Jat said _"As one of your squad."_

" _This… filthy…?"_ Khurshad's jaws hung open as words finally failed him, unable to think of an expletive bad enough _"You cannot mean it!"_

" _Certainly I mean it. I am not in the habit of making jokes."_ Nar'Jat said, calmly ignoring his horrified look _"On this ship S'Kia is a disruptive influence, an unpredictable menace. But imagine what havoc he could wreak amongst the Bad Bloods if we unleash him there."_ He waved a hand to indicate the heads piled on the floor _"Let him spend his insane wrath upon them."_

Khurshad's voice spluttered into life again, his indignation overcoming shock _"But he is insubordinate! A degenerate! Without honour or scruples or loyalty! Without control!"_

" _Then you must learn to control him, as R'Zuul could not."_ Nar'Jat tilted his head _"Think of him as… a weapon, at your disposal. You must make use of him."_

He laughed finally, seeing Khurshad's pained expression _"But if he does not survive…. it is no great matter."_

* * *

Lex had almost fallen asleep sitting at the shuttle controls. The trauma of the last few days coupled with the physical strain of pregnancy had exhausted her. She had risked the odd uneasy catnap, relying on the autopilot to alert her if anything went wrong or if she was approached, but she hadn't been able to truly rest. Once or twice she found her head rolling forward and shook herself, determinedly trying to stay awake. Again and again she found herself debating whether to go back, wondering if she hadn't made an enormous mistake.

"I've got to sleep sometime." She thought "I can't stay awake for weeks on end. And even if I could, it's not going to be more than a week or two before I go into labour." Even the thought of it brought her out in a cold sweat "What was I _thinking_? At least back on the ship I could have got medical help, well perhaps… something like it anyway. And Scar would have tried to help me. Whatever else he might be, he's totally obsessed with his _"offspring"_. He wouldn't let anything happen to it. Now I'll be alone, totally alone. Unless I can make it back to Earth and that's not likely, not before…. Oh God! How could I ever think facing _that_ on my own would be the best option?"

Eventually she couldn't keep awake any longer and dozed fretfully, the autopilot flying the ship whilst she twitched in the pilots chair. A beeping noise from the console brought her back to consciousness with a jolt. As she gazed at the screen she realised in dismay that she was about to come under attack, two hostile ships had been picked up by the scanner. In a few minutes they'd be right on top of her.

She pressed controls wildly, trying to think what to do. One – she might have taken her chances in a fire-fight – but two? Not such great odds. Her brain seemed to freeze up for a few seconds as she watched the little red dots creeping ever closer to her position. Suddenly she snapped back to reality and laid hold of the controls, snapping off the autopilot with the flick of a switch. She pushed the steering column forward and boosted the engines, hoping vainly that she might be able to outrun them and at the same time started scanning the space ahead. She was looking for an asteroid belt or a planetoid, anything that might afford some cover so that she could evade them and escape.

As she sped away from them the two enemy ships suddenly increased their own velocity. She'd obviously been spotted. As she desperately scanned the space ahead, the blinking display alerted her to the presence of a large-ish planetoid in the top right-hand sector of the screen. She zoomed in to reveal a purplish-blue world, swirling with clouds. It wasn't Earth, even at this distance she could see that, but the computer told her it had a breathable atmosphere and a survivable temperature. She zeroed in on it desperately, pushing the engines to their very limit.

As she neared its orbit the first fighter screamed down on her, and she pulled the Umbra about in a tight curve, narrowly avoiding the plasma fire that just missed her right engine. As she looped round it shot past her across her flight path and she returned fire taking out its left turbine in a flash of blue light, scorching and blackening its metal hull. These ships were bigger than hers, she realised, but not as manoeuvrable. Before it could swing round upon her again she adjusted her aim and hit its right engine. There was a blinding flash and the resulting blast rocked the Umbra, tossing it around like a bead inside a rattle. Mercifully the shaking subsided after a moment but her relief didn't last long. As the Umbra barrelled towards the planet, the second ship was already upon her. It opened fire and she just had time to dart to one side, the plasma volley partially damaged one of the shuttle's wings. The Umbra juddered. Its flight was not affected, but she cursed all the same. As Scar had explained to her, the wings were not needed for space flight, but for landing in a planet's atmosphere.

Lex turned the ship and gunned the engine to the very limit of its capability as the fighter swung round for another try. She sped towards it, willing herself not to blink until the computer detected the other ships guns locking onto her position, then she pushed the controls violently – causing the Umbra to lurch to one side again, out of the firing line. As she did so she engaged her own targeting system and hit them right in the engine cooling unit. She smiled grimly, a good shot. "They're done for! Who says I can't shoot straight?" she exclaimed – she could see the metal starting to overheat and buckle as the unit died. Her elation proved to be premature, as the stricken ship opened fire on her again, this time scoring a partial hit on her own left hand side.

The whole shuttle shook again and she had to fight to maintain control as terror gripped her. Veering sharply away from the enemy ship she wrenched at the controls, forcing the Umbra down towards the planet before they could hit her again. The shuttle was buffeted about a second time as the enemy ship detonated behind her, pushing her down towards the atmosphere with even greater speed.

She gritted her teeth and strapped herself into the pilots seat. She'd never landed one of these things on a planet before, but it was too late to worry about that now.

The Umbra shook as it entered the atmosphere, so violently she thought the ship might actually come apart. As the shuttle screamed down towards the ground the ships computer brought up display after display, mapping the topography of the ground as she searched desperately for a place to land. The terrain seemed to be some sort of jungle, uncountable miles of forest flashed past underneath her. The altitude of the craft was dropped rapidly and as gravity took hold it became difficult to steer. She pulled up on the steering column and punched the downward jets to try and slow her descent.

As the ground rose up inexorably to meet her, the cockpit jolted violently. Thick branches battered the front windscreen, breaking and snapping against the reinforced glass. Her head bounced against the back of the chair and her teeth rattled in her jaw. She squeezed her eyes shut and rolled into a ball as much as she was able to whilst still strapped into the chair, covering her midriff with her arms.


	15. Chapter 15

She regained consciousness after only a short time. Blinking dazedly she rubbed her eyes and unfolded herself cautiously, stretching her arms and legs to test if anything had been broken. As soon as she'd determined she was not seriously injured she un-strapped herself from the chair and stood up. Looking around she was pleased to see that the tough shell of the Umbra seemed to have survived the crash more or less intact, even the windscreen was still in one piece. A quick check of the ships systems confirmed that taking off again wasn't going to be an option though, not whilst still missing a wing, and she didn't fancy sticking around here. Months of living with the hunters had taught her never to assume that she was safe anywhere and she reasoned that, if the enemy fighters were flying so close to this planetoid, there might be a presence on the ground here. Something like a shuttle crash would immediately attract their attention, even if her friends on the two ships she'd destroyed hadn't already alerted them to her presence. It was probably a good idea to get out of here before someone came to check it out.

Quickly she began to gather up supplies and weapons, strapping as many of them into place on her body as she could carry, putting on her mask and making sure to take the two plasma cannons she'd retrieved from bodies on board the Void Cutter – her own having been destroyed by the Bad Blood's throwing blade. She inspected the cloaking device for a moment – wishing she'd taken time to look at it before now. Every moment she stayed here increased her sense of unease. The operation of it seemed to be very similar to that of the cloaking devices used by Scar's species. "It can't be that complicated!" she frowned to herself "Sure, it's bigger and heavier, but I think I can see how it works. Probably."

It didn't help that fighting cloaked was one area of the hunters techniques that she was curiously inexperienced at. It was an area of her training that Scar had neglected for some reason and she'd never had occasion to miss it. Camouflage was little use against things like the shape-shifter they'd fought on the other jungle planet – which had no eyes – or the bugs, who operated by detecting electro-magnetic impulses from living things and tasting hormones on the air. They only really used the cloaking devices to hunt creatures that relied on sight, like humans…

She remembered fighting cloaked once, in the gym back on the Shadow. It seemed like years ago now, but it was a surreal experience: not being able to see her own body. It was easy to hit yourself or, worse, overbalance – leaning too far forward or backwards because you momentarily forgot the reason why your legs were not visible. Scar had found it very funny to watch, she recalled and then grimaced. Her fluctuating hormones were getting to her at inconvenient moments, but this was no time to succumb to a fit of futile tears. She hauled the Bad Blood's cloaking unit onto her back, strapping it in place. Picking up the sack holding the food and the rest of her supplies she stepped to the door of the shuttle, pausing before opening it to activate the cloaking device. She was incredibly thankful that she did. The hatch had barely closed behind her when she spotted two red heat signatures approaching through the undergrowth, away to her right.

She was about to make a break for the cover of the surrounding greenery, then decided it would be better to move slowly to minimize noise. With any luck they wouldn't be able to see her with the protection of this superior cloaking device. If they could see her she'd simply have to fight them, she was in no fit state to outrun them.

She crept slowly round to the side, giving them a very wide berth and trying to put some of the tall foliage between them and her. The Umbra lay at the end of a long, ragged trail of destruction. Trees had been torn down and the earth of the forest floor churned up by its path through the jungle. The two hunters could scarcely miss it.

She watched them approach the shuttle cautiously from behind the relative safety of a fallen tree, hardly daring to breathe in case they heard her. Now they were closer, she could see they were Bad Blood clan, unmistakeably. They didn't seem to have spotted her so far, so she imagined the cloaking device was doing the trick. "Perhaps it's as we guessed and they only have a very few of these devices." She thought "In which case that'd make the ones captured on the Void Cutter even more precious!"

They reached the hull and one of them gingerly pressed the door control, evidently expecting some sort of trap. After checking inside they ducked under the hatch and shortly came back out again, obviously having satisfied themselves that no-one was home. Of course – she realised – they would think the occupant was another hunter, having identified the shuttle as one of those belonging to the Rough Skulls. Hopefully they wouldn't be looking for a human.

When they spoke to each other, she strained her ears to make out the words.

* * *

" _Nagri – a lizard shuttle!"_ The larger one said _"But all its occupants have scuttled away!"_

It took a cursory glance inside the craft and then turned again to its larger team mate _"They cannot be many, it is only a small ship and their scent is faint inside, you know how they stink."_

" _You have it correctly Nagri,"_ said the first, the one known as U'Trikt _"It smells hardly at all of yautja."_

The smaller one made another quick inspection of the cockpit and emerged, shaking his head as if puzzled _"Strange. It smells more like ooman to me. But this is one of their ships, I would stake my life. Perhaps this is a decoy ship they have sent down to draw our patrols."_

" _Or perhaps this is another consignment of easy prey for the vermin to hunt, in which case it should not worry us!"_ The larger one made a buzzing, spluttering noise that might have been laughter.

" _Perhaps."_ Nagri, the smaller hunter, did not seem convinced _"We should still sweep this area. Pest-control – check out whether there are any lurking surprises hereabouts."_

Before they turned to go, one of them pulled a small device from his belt and tossed it through the shuttle's open hatchway. There was a muffled boom and black smoke began to appear through the door.

Lex watched them walk away with a sinking heart, as flames began to consume the Umbra. "So that's it, I'm trapped here – in another goddamned jungle!" She thought wearily as the undergrowth swallowed them up "For now anyway. Just as well I've had experience."

Looking around the forest itself was slightly different to that she'd seen on the shapeshifter's planet. The ground here was firmer underfoot, less marshy, at least in this part of the planet. The trees were taller, towering overhead – their smooth trunks like black pillars – but the canopy was less dense. She could actually see quite large patches of the sky in places. The most important difference was the breathable atmosphere, the most noticeable was the light. An eerie, purple glow bathed everything when she switched her mask from thermal vision to normal setting. She wasn't sure if this was because of the time of day (what was the time of day anyway?) or if the whole place existed in a permanent state of purple twilight.

She frowned. If her guess was correct this was Hirai, the very planet they were using for their base of operations, the place the Bad Blood had told Scar about. Right before the crash she was sure that was what the Umbra's computer had said.

"Well, the shuttle's dead so no point in hanging round here all night waiting for them to come back." She told herself "I have to find someplace I can hole up in, until I get my bearings and work out: One, where the hell I am and two, how I can get the hell out of here!" She switched back to thermal vision and began pushing her way through the undergrowth.

* * *

There was already quite a crowd gathered by the time Scar got to the main hall. Even a day later, his head was still pounding from the unaccustomed intoxication. Despite the pain and the nausea he kept his head high and his shoulders back, unwilling to show even a hint of weakness. He couldn't remember anything very clearly after returning to his living quarters. Once he'd sobered up from the drinking binge he couldn't shake the feeling that something awful and irreversible had happened. The room was a site of utter devastation and he could only assume he was responsible.

Worse than that the realisation that Lex was gone. A huge tide of some unknown emotion loomed on the horizon, threatening to engulf him. He dealt with it the only way he knew how; by repressing it, freezing it behind a wall of ice. He'd learned plenty of techniques in his life for pushing down pain and fear and they were the only thing that saved him now.

He'd strenuously resisted all urges to go after her or even think about her – telling himself it was stupid and weak. It didn't always work. Often he found his mind wandered back to her without even willing it. He'd find himself wondering if she'd birthed his offspring yet, or if she'd died – shot down out of the stars by an enemy fighter.

As he walked into the hall heads turn to watch him, but he was too wrapped up in his thoughts to notice. He walked blindly to the front of the crowd, not even noticing the other males moving hastily to get out of his way and stood waiting, oblivious to anything except the crushing pressure behind his eyes and the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He realised he'd let his head drop and lifted it up as Nar'Jat entered, followed by what remained of the council. Scar felt a flash of visceral rage as Khurshad took up position behind the leader. He couldn't quite remember where the impulse had come from but for some reason he had a nagging feeling it was something that had happened the previous day. Khurshad's eyes burned with hatred as they locked gazes. Scar glared back at the senior hunter balefully. He was feeling so sick he could hardly string his thoughts together but it was no effort to hate Khurshad. The rumblings of talk died down as the council leader surveyed the room. Scar noticed now that virtually the whole of the ships population had gathered here.

" _We have exterminated those who dared invade our ship!"_ A thunderous roar of approval and triumphant laughter. Fists and feet were pounded on the metal deck. Scar's depression deepened as the noise set off the thudding pain in his head again – did they really think they had won? That it even mattered?

Nar'Jat held out one talon for silence and immediately the noise died away.

" _But this is only the beginning of what lies before us!"_ He held up his arm again for silence _"We now know the extent of their plans. We now know the long term objective – an attack on our home planet, and the total extermination of our clan."_

The silence held palpable anxiety _"We will not allow it!"_ More roars of approval, hammering on the floor, the walls, the tables all around the room. Scar looked around him in disgust _. "All this noise, all this… this ….stupidity! They were taken unawares once, why do they not shut their mouths and listen? Lex would think this stupid! Ridiculous!"_ He shook his head and covered his eyes, realising he'd thought about her _again_. To his dismay, as the noise died down again, he could see Nar'Jat was looking at him _"S'Kia?"_

" _Nar'Jat?"_ Scar raised his head to meet the clan leader's eyes, sunk too low in misery and alcohol induced illness to care what was coming next.

" _Despite your past renegade behaviour the council has been well pleased with you."_ Nar'Jat's hiss of satisfaction was evident _"We have their ship, their cloaking devices and their secretssss, you have done well for us."_

He dipped his head, partly in acknowledgement, partly in deference to the relentless pain that was pounding at his temples.

" _You will go to Hirai,"_ He heard Nar'Jat say _"As part of Khurshad's squad. You will be his lieutenant. You will be part of our vanguard against the Bad Bloods."_

This was greeted with murmurs of surprise. Though Scar had gained a high degree of respect onboard the ship after word about skinning the Bad Blood got around, it was respect that was tempered with fear. Of course the whole episode had only served to confirm in the minds of many the widely circulated rumours about his madness.

Scar glanced left, then right, belligerently meeting the astonished looks he was getting on all sides. He noted that no-one was prepared to hold his eye and straightened up, hackles rising with anger. _"So!"_ he thought _"You all think I am not to be trusted. That I am insane! But not one of you would dare to challenge me.…"_

He looked up at Khurshad who was watching him with the same regard that he would do a worm _"And you hate me,"_ The thought was savagely satisfying _"As if the opinion of a moron mattered at all! Nar'Jat is the crazy one if he truly thinks I will submit to your authority."_

He suppressed the urge to vomit as another bout of nausea struck him, followed swiftly by a wave of crushing despair. _"What does it matter?"_ He shut his eyes for a moment, not caring if anyone else noticed _"R'Zuul is dead, Lex is gone. It is the fault of the leeches,"_ He felt rage rising up to overtake the melancholy _"If they had not attacked us, none of this would have happened."_

That thought decided him; that was all that remained to him, to make others suffer for what he was suffering now _"Very well then, I will go to Hirai. I will have my vengeance – whatever the cost!"_ He smirked nastily to himself, a smile without any amusement behind it _"You call me an Abomination, so I will show you all just how abominable I can be."_

* * *

Lex shouldered her way through the dripping ferns. The plants here were chest height and, as the night fell, odd-shaped, luminous fungus were attracting clouds of hovering insects.

She felt strangely calm here, now that the shock of the crash had worn off. The jungle was quiet apart from the noise of insects – no birds that she could hear, and she saw no larger animals – but she remained cloaked. To any observer she would have been no more visible than a passing breeze ruffling the long grasses, but if they'd stopped to think about it for a moment they'd have realised that the hot night air was still. There was no breeze. Happily there was no-one around to notice such things, she saw no enemies anywhere.

After what she guessed to be hours the darkness had neither lifted nor deepened, she reasoned that this crepuscular half-dark must be what passed for daytime here. Glowing points of light drifted past on the currents of warm air, flying bugs she supposed. She pushed on without any particular objective – taking care only to keep in mind the location of the shuttle, in case she needed to go back there. All she was searching for was somewhere to hide out for a while, somewhere she'd be relatively concealed until she could figure out what to do. The light was just beginning to fade very slightly as she approached the lip of a wide valley – almost deep enough to be a ravine. The foliage was pretty dense here around the edge of the trench. She was pushed her way through as quietly as she could, thinking there might be somewhere she could hide further down the valley floor. Some cave or crevasse that would be out of the way, where she could lie up if – no, _when –_ she needed to. She was uncomfortably aware that it wouldn't be long now before the baby made an appearance, whether she was ready or not.

As she finally broke through the tangle of vines and twisting tree limbs she gave a sharp intake of breath and had to grab hold of one branch to stop herself slipping and tumbling down the steep incline. She stood for a moment, stupefied, unable to move. She'd stumbled over the Bad Bloods main base of operations by mistake, almost fallen right into it! Stretched out before her eyes was a huge encampment. The valley was bigger than she'd thought, wide expanses of forest had been cleared to make way. The masks thermal vision picked out crowds of them, some standing quite nearby, as well as the low-level heat from machinery, vehicles, energy sources.

If it hadn't been for the cloaking device protecting her, preventing her from being seen, she would have been done for. She eased herself backwards gradually, as quietly as she could, so that she could watch them from the undergrowth. The place was a hive of activity. They were obviously preparing, massing ready for a big attack.

She sat back on her haunches and sighed. So her worst suspicions were confirmed, this was indeed Hirai. That meant the sooner she could get the hell out of here the better.

She stayed for a few minutes and watched. Her eye was drawn to the row of shuttles that stood ready. She guessed that they would have the same superior stealth capabilities as the ones that had been used to board the Void Cutter. She wondered if the controls would be similar to the Umbra, if she'd be able to pilot one of them… then she could get away. Of course she had to get on board one first, not an easy task with so many enemies around and a big risk if she couldn't master the controls. Her brow creased into a thoughtful frown as she gazed down at the swarming valley.

* * *

Captain Myers ran full pelt through the purple-lit rainforest, as fast as he could do without falling headlong over every tree trunk and coiling root in his path. He could hear Privates Hobbes and Ricard keeping pace with him, just, but he didn't dare to look behind him. He probably wouldn't be able to see them anyway. They'd been in this godforsaken jungle for a week now and as the days passed two things had become clear: this was not Earth and that they weren't alone. Something they couldn't see was tracking them.

He'd tried to map out the terrain in his mind, but he was uncomfortably aware that they were being driven into an unfamiliar part of the forest and that wasn't good. Worse than that, night was falling. He half-ran, half-fell down a steep slope, his feet slithering on the slimey leaf litter. The other two followed, Hobbes almost taking his legs out from under him as she collided with his back.

Frantically they scrabbled to their feet and ran on. Myers could hear – or thought he could hear – foliage crackling behind them. Was the pursuit getting nearer?

He groaned inwardly as he saw a sheer cliff face rising up to meet them. Now he knew which part of the forest they were in – a dead end. As they skidded to a halt in front of the rocks he had no choice but to turn and face whatever it was chasing them. Offering up a silent prayer and grabbing hold of his assault rifle he spun round and saw… nothing. The forest was eerily silent, the violet light illuminating nothing but stillness, tranquil plant life undisturbed by anything other than the occasional, bizarre insect whirring by. Next to him, Ricard was breathing in shallow gasps – he turned to look at the man. His face showed up palely in the ghostly glow of this weird planet.

"Easy man, easy. We can take 'em." He said, with a confidence he didn't feel "Just get in position."

"They're gonna come for us Myers," Hobbes was on the verge of tears "Just like they came for Glaiser!"

"Come on Private, get a grip or we are _fucked_!" he hissed. She quietened down but Myers could feel her still trembling beside him. It was unnerving. These were soldiers who he'd seen go through some of the toughest combat situations without a word of complaint, now they were virtually sobbing with terror. He felt a bit like crying himself if he was honest but he fought grimly against the urge to succumb to the brain-numbing panic that threatened to smother all logical thought. As they waited in the half light, each of them was straining his eyes to search out the smallest movement, the barest hint of anything that might betray the presence of their adversaries.

The quiet was almost unbearable – the only thing worse than waiting for things to happen was thinking about if something _did_ happen.

Movement! His eyes flicked to it immediately and the muzzle of his rifle came up. A single fern frond wagged up and down, seemingly for no reason. There was nothing there. He managed to restrain himself from opening fire, breathing deeply – when suddenly a white-hot bolt of energy flashed out of the undergrowth and flattened Ricard to the ground in a haze of blood. The smell of burning fat and flesh filled the air.

Hobbes shrieked but managed to get her rifle up and hold it steady enough to return fire in the direction the shot had come from. He was about to do the same but something stopped him. Why waste ammunition? They'd never managed to hit anything yet.

Nudging Hobbes, he started to back away to try and find some cover. He glanced fleetingly down at Ricard. There was no helping him – he was obviously dead. Sightless, brown eyes stared up at him.

Hobbes was whispering a fervent prayer beside him, the words barely intelligible as they spilled from her terrified lips. As he watched, the dripping ferns began to move as if ruffled by the wind, even though the hot, stifling air was deathly still. He thought he might be going mad. Moving against the background of the forest he could see, like a mirage, that the forest around them was moving. He thought he could make out the suggestion of a figure. He wasn't sure whether what he was seeing was real – they'd never caught so much as a glimpse of their mysterious attackers before. He raised his own gun, but not quickly enough. A throwing blade materialised out of the air and took it out of his hands.

His back came up against the cliffs, they couldn't run any more. He looked to one side, then the other and fumbled at his belt for his pistol but his hands were clumsy with fear. He managed to get a grip on it though his fingers were so slippery with sweat it almost flew out of his grasp. As he raised it with a shaking hand something loomed up beside Hobbes. The woman flinched away in panic but then screamed in pain and staggered. A huge ragged gash appeared in her leg and some sort of throwing blade materialized out of the air with a crackle of electricity, buried in the ground by her feet.

Myers turned in confusion. Where had the spear come from? He tried to get a handle on the situation but events were spiralling out of control too fast for him to follow. He whipped the pistol round as the twilit jungle surged towards him, knowing there was nothing he could do but unable to look away.

Suddenly there was a flash of blinding white light and an ear-splitting boom, followed by another and another. He blinked in astonishment as an enormous figure coalesced into being out of the air beside him. It was a vast humanoid creature, covered in strange armour, its skin scaley and dark, a mask like a monstrous, metallic skull covering its face. Its back was charred and smoking and it rolled to a stop at his feet, lifeless.

He threw himself to the ground and looked on in horrified fascination as glowing, white shots bounced around the clearing. He could make out the spectral shapes of the two remaining attackers now. They were camouflaged in some ingenious way which made them almost invisible when standing still but now they were moving he could see them. Now they seemed to be under attack from an unknown source. He still couldn't work out what was going on - they were returning fire with their own guns now, but erratically. Clearly they were as puzzled by this new development as himself.

As he watched, a second warrior was hit in the chest – the blast knocking it against a tree and bursting its ribcage open. Its innards exploded outwards like an overstuffed suitcase. The third and final shape bellowed in rage, the clearing was illuminated as if by a lightening storm as it fired wildly into the undergrowth again and again.

An answering barrage scythed its legs from underneath it and it toppled to the floor, becoming visible as whatever was generating its camouflage crackled and shorted out. As it writhed on the floor an unseen force jerked its head upright and its head was stricken from its shoulders, sheared off by an invisible blade.

A stillness descended on the jungle, the only noise the quiet drip, drip, drip of condensation falling from the leaves. Then he heard a voice, seeming totally out of place in this environment, say: "Drop your weapons. Put your hands on your head." It was a female voice, calm and low-pitched. And speaking English! He obeyed, too stupefied to do anything else, and then nearly swallowed his tongue as a slender figure appeared – stepping forward out of thin air. Whereas the others had been dimly visible when they moved, there had been nothing to give away the presence of this one. One minute there was only the darkness and then suddenly it was there. It stood still, gun pointed at him. As his brain started to unfreeze, little details started to present themselves for his notice. It – she – was smaller than the attackers but wearing a mask like theirs, only plainer. And she looked human. Instead of the snakelike locks of the monsters, her head was surrounded by a halo of wild, black hair.

"Your friend is hurt," Her voice was flat and cold as she nodded to where Hobbes was lying on the ground, clutching her leg "You should help her. Go on." She gestured with the barrel of the gun but kept him covered.

He knelt down next to the woman and pulled her up into sitting position, still gazing up at the apparition. "What… what the hell are you?" He finally managed to choke the words out.

She paused for a moment, then reached up with one hand and pulled the metal mask from her face. He caught his breath. Black, almond-shaped eyes surveyed him coolly. Full lips compressed in a hard line.

Myers stared, mouth hanging open in astonishment. His life had just been saved by the one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

* * *

Scar was aboard one of the captured the Bad Blood shuttles with the rest of Khurshad's squad, waiting for their new captain to finish his conversation with Nar'Jat and the rest of the council. Although his hangover had subsided now, he remained sullen and uncommunicative. He sat apart from the rest of the squad, barely even aware of their existence. The others avoided him. Even Rika, who was also on the squad and had known him a long time, left him to his own devices.

" _Hurry up you lazy maggots!"_ Khurshad snarled, striding up the gangway and onto the ship _"Get your worthless carcasses ready for take-off!"_

As the rest of the squad busied themselves, fastening safety harnesses and strapping weaponry into place, he rounded on Scar, who continued to sit silent and still as if he had not spoken.

" _S'Kia! Can it be that you have lost your hearing now as well as your mind?"_ He bellowed, voice rising to an ear-splitting pitch _._

Scar didn't move _"I heard you."_ He said quietly.

" _Do not think I will tolerate disobedience, U'darahje!" {translation: Abomination}_ Khurshad's eyes blazed _"If I give an order I will have it obeyed instantly! You may have been allowed to get away with insolence in the past but you are under my command now – and I am not R'Zuul. Cross me and I will have your severed head on a pole!"_

Scar turned very slowly, until he was looking the squad leader straight in the eye _"It is as you say, Khurshad."_ He hissed, and there was no mistaking the underlying threat in his tone _"You are certainly not R'Zuul."_

Khurshad stared at him, jaws gaping wide with wrath. He knew Scar had meant to insult him but he couldn't think of a response that wouldn't make him sound either weak or stupid. As he stood there fuming, Scar began strapping himself into his harness, apparently oblivious.

* * *

The flawless face was sitting across from Myers right now, watching him impassively. He could just make out the smooth lines of her high cheekbones in the gloom. The bolthole she'd led them to, a system of caves, was almost pitch dark but she wouldn't allow him to light a fire. Myers calmed down somewhat after she'd helped him clean out the spear wound on Hobbes' leg and bandage her up, but other than that she'd been silent. The private was sleeping now.

By contrast to his own disordered state of mind, the newcomer seemed unnaturally calm given the circumstances. He'd never known a woman to show so little emotion or project such an air of fierce self-possession. It was as if she was surrounded by an invisible wall, a force-field that repelled all advances. Several times he'd opened his mouth to start speaking but thought better of it, struck dumb by nerves and intimidated by her blank, watchful gaze. In the end though, the silence started to get to him.

"Thanks for helping me … with Hobbes, I mean." He said eventually.

She gave a nod, a slight inclination of the head. An acknowledgement – nothing more.

"I know enough field medicine to get by but… it's never been my strong point." When she let this pass without comment he went on "Hobbes is the team's resident medic but obviously…..." Nothing. He realised he was gabbling. He tried to smile. Women were usually disarmed by his smile, he knew he was considered to be attractive. It did nothing to thaw her out. She merely nodded again and continued to regard him patiently, as if waiting for something.

He sat quietly for a few more minutes, until his curiosity overcame his nerves "What the hell are you doing out here anyway?" He burst out.

She raised one eyebrow "Do you mean 'What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?'" She said sardonically. "Sorry to give you another cliché, but "it's a long story". The short version is: I was on my way somewhere else, I got shot down and I crashed-landed on this planet. What about you?"

"I wish I could tell you." He winced and ran his fingers through his hair "I remember waking up falling, then being here. We've been here about forty-eight hours – being tracked by those things. How did you - "

"I think I earned the right to ask you questions first." She cut him off.

He nodded, slightly taken aback, "You can start by telling me your name?" She said.

"Captain Myers." He smiled and extended a hand, his smile faltering when she didn't take it. "I don't like soldiers." She said, unsmiling herself

"What – why?" He said.

"Met too many. And I don't know what you were captain _of_ back on Earth," She went on "But here it doesn't mean anything. I meant your first name."

"Miles." He said.

"You're joking!" The corner of her lips curved up into a smile ""Your name's Miles Myers?"

She seemed genuinely amused and he found himself grinning unwillingly – at least she was smiling now. He was prepared to put up with a bit of mockery to break the ice "Yeah, my mother was rather eccentric, guess she thought at least it'd be easy for people to remember if it rhymed. I'm from Portland originally but I joined the marines because I wanted to see the world – corny huh?"

She gave a slight shrug, no longer smiling, but her expression had warmed a little.

"So what should I call you?" He prompted.

"Lex." She leaned her head back against the wall of the cave and rested one hand on the curve of her pregnant stomach. He noticed that even when apparently relaxed, her other hand was never very far away from the gun she carried on her hip. "She still doesn't trust me." He thought "I'm going to have to be careful. She can disappear into thin air – she's got weapons that are more than a match for mine. I don't want to piss her off, I need her to be on our side."

"So what can you tell me about this place?" He tried to look as friendly as he could "You seem to have it all worked out – what the hell are those things? How could you see them to wipe them out like you did? How did you stop them seeing you - "

"I don't appreciate being interrogated," Her brows drew together like two black, birds wings "But Miles the long and short of it is: this isn't Earth."

He nodded "I worked that much out for myself."

"Well done!" She nodded back "But it gets better. You've stumbled into a warzone – an inter-planetary conflict between violent, bloodthirsty aliens. The ones who were hunting you earlier? They're the enemy."

He was silent for a moment "I'm guessing they're your enemy too? Whose side are you on?" he asked eventually.

"My own. Not theirs anyway. I think you can safely assume that no-one is on your side."

"Not even you?" he smiled, attempting a joke. It fell flat "Okay, I know it came out like a line earlier," he started awkwardly "But I just meant it seems strange for you to be out here alone like this. I mean a woman – "

"In my condition?" She finished for him "I still managed to kill those hunters who were about to kill you and save your lives _captain_."

He held up a placatory hand "I'm not trying to insult you! It just seems strange that you're on your own. Your partner… the father, I mean… he isn't – "

"Isn't around." She said. That was definitely the wrong thing to say, the temperature dropped back to sub-zero. He hastily tried to back-pedal "Look I'm not trying to pry!"

"Then don't." she snapped. Clearly the subject was closed and he had offended her. They sat in silence for a while, he mentally berated himself for his stupidity.

Eventually he tried again "Listen – I am grateful to you for helping us back there, really. I'm just … this is all really hard to get my head around. I don't remember how I got here from Earth. The last I remember we were on active duty in Kabul, then it all goes black and next thing I know we wake up here! I don't even know what I'm doing here or why – I've been just about holding it together this last week and I'm trying to understand but … I'm freaking out. Being hunted by monsters through this insane jungle, invisible enemies…. I've lost friends in the last few days, people I've known for years. I'm willing to take your lead, I want us to work together, but help me out here. Please?"

She fixed him with a penetrating glare for a moment, then relented a little seeing his distress. "Okay I'm… sorry. Like I said, soldiers aren't exactly my favourite people and I'm not very used to being around other … people, it's been a while." Her face twisted – trying out various different expressions. It was as if she didn't know how to use it "It's just strange to be … it's just been a while, that's all."

"You say you crash-landed here," he said slowly "Do you mean you have a transport? Is there some way we can get off this planet?"

"Unfortunately not. It was too badly damaged in the crash." She bit her lip "There might be something we can salvage but … oh shit!" She broke off mid-sentence and her eyes crinkled up in pain. She flinched slightly, both hands going to her belly.

"Are you ok?" He was immediately up and across the cave. He went to kneel down beside her, but she held up a hand to stop him coming closer "What is it?"

"Just little pains." She had it almost under control now, but he noticed her eyes creasing up again slightly, wincing.

"How long before you..?" He began, but his voice tailed off.

"Not long." She gave a mirthless smile "So I guess you're right – cooperation it is. The sooner we can get out of here the better, so we'll need weapons. Tomorrow we should go back and get what equipment we can from those hunters I killed. Once I get you kitted out, we can take a walk back to the shuttle. See what we can salvage – and then we'll have to see what we can do about getting a transport that actually works."

"Do you want me to take first watch?" he offered.

"No, I don't sleep well right now." She shook her head "Besides, I don't trust you _that_ much."


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning brought only a slight brightening of the perpetual dusk that seemed to grip the planetoid. Private Alice Hobbes jerked awake. She groaned and wondered where she was. Her mouth felt glued shut and her eyelids weren't much better. She finally managed to prise them open and then jumped in alarm when she saw the strange woman sitting opposite, elbows resting on her knees – watching her intently.

She tried to push herself upright on one arm whilst the other hand scrabbled for her gun, then she cried out in pain as the wound in her leg stabbed a warning.

"Relax." The woman said in a low voice "I'm just keeping watch while Myers gets some sleep."

"Who the hell are you?" Stammered Hobbes, still fumbling for her gun.

"Take it easy, I'm not going to kill you or I would have done it by now!" The woman held up her hands "I saved you and your captain last night – don't you remember? My name is Lex."

"Lex?" The soldier continued to stare at her dubiously.

"Well we haven't really been introduced." The dark haired woman said.

"Alice Hobbes," The medic said after a moment "What… happened last night? I don't remember…"

"You were attacked." Lex told her "That's how your leg got injured – do you remember that?"

Hobbes thought for a minute, then the hazy memory came back, like a half-forgotten nightmare "Yes" She said slowly "Those things, the monsters … they came out of thin air! I thought we were done for – what happened to them?"

"I did." The woman said with grim satisfaction, then held up a water cantina "Are you thirsty?"

Hobbes nodded suddenly realising her throat was in agony, the newcomer threw the flask over and she gulped the water down gratefully.

When she'd finished the woman was still watching her. "I guess I should thank you." Hobbes said hesitantly.

"That is traditional in these situations I believe." The woman raised a curving black eyebrow.

"I just wish I could remember." Hobbes rubbed her head "Christ, I feel like I drank myself under the table last night!"

Lex watched the soldier and tried to hide her amusement. She wasn't totally unfeeling but she looked funny – green eyes round as marbles, her shock of short, bright-red hair stuck up at odd angles from her face. She told herself she was being unfair. After all Hobbes had been injured – it wasn't her fault she was confused and disorientated. She wondered if perhaps being away from humanity for so long some of that innate yautja contempt for humanity had seeped into her way of thinking.

"Believe me," She said "Some things are best forgotten. How's your leg by the way?"

"Agony." Hobbes winced again "Is there anything to eat? I'm starving and I really need to go to the bathroom."

"Well I can probably help you with one of those requests." Lex stood up to get some of the food from Myers' pack when she heard the other woman gasp.

"You're pregnant!" Hobbes' eyes were wide with surprise again "Man, are you pregnant! You're huge! You must be about ready to pop any minute now! How the hell did you manage to fight off those things?"

"You sure don't hold back, do you?" Lex observed, one hand on her stomach, smiling in spite of herself.

The medic seemed even more flustered "Sorry I just – it's just I can't believe it! How many months are you?"

Lex sighed – there didn't seem to be any point in not saying "Like you said, any day now."

"And you're running around, killing monsters?" Hobbes's face split into a pumpkin grin "I gotta hand it to you, when I was at your stage I found sitting on the couch watching daytime TV and eating potato chips tiring!"

Lex laughed "Well in the absence of a couch or a TV or potato chips, I guess I've had to make do." She said "Speaking of which, let me get you something to eat."  
She handed the woman some of the rations the soldiers had with them. She would have given her some of her own food but she didn't think the other woman would appreciate the stuff the hunters ate. She could only tolerate it herself because she was used to it and anyway her pregnancy seemed to have transformed her into a carnivore. She watched Hobbes spooning tinned tuna into her mouth, too hungry to bother with cooking. The atmosphere between them had eased up considerably.

When she'd finished the medic took another swig of water and made a face "Urgh!" She said "What I wouldn't give for pizza right now!"

"So you've got children?" Lex asked her, wanting to continue what was for her the most normal conversation she'd had for almost two years.

"Yeah, my two little girls." Hobbes grinned again "Wouldn't change them for the world but man – the shit you go through just to get 'em here! Hurts worse than any injury I ever got on the battlefield, including this one." She gingerly rubbed her leg and then looked up at Lex "Is it your first?"

"Yes." Lex sighed again. It was weird, talking this way to a woman she hardly knew, but there was something about Hobbes that made her feel comfortable speaking to her. She seemed down-to-earth, her natural cheerfulness had swiftly overcome the fright and distress of the previous night. Not only that, it was a relief to speak to someone who actually understood what she was going through for a change. She'd not spoken to another woman since Professor Iversson and their relationship had not been exactly friendly "To be honest I just wish it was all over with." She said "My back is killing me!"

"Oh I remember that feeling." Hobbes gave a heartfelt grimace "But it's worth it in the end, believe me! I don't envy you though – I always dreaded having twins. It runs in my family."

Lex's brow wrinkled "I'm not having twins."

"Really?" Hobbes eyed her huge abdomen "Are you sure?"

She was sure. Pin-sharp thermal imaging and EM impulse was a pretty sure-fire way of checking on details like that.

"Trust me," She said "There's only one baby in here."

"Well if that's true, it must be one humungous baby." Hobbes said dubiously "He's gonna be a linebacker when he grows up."

"I really doubt that." Lex said ruefully. She wasn't going to tell Hobbes the truth, despite the temptation to unburden herself. She didn't want to burst the cosy, little bubble of normality that had settled over the two of them for a moment.

"Hey, I'm not trying to worry you!" Hobbes looked immediately contrite "I'm sure it'll all be fine. Anyway, you'll soon realise the birth is the easy part!"

"I'm sure you're right." Lex said with a shrug "Anyway I've got bigger problems to worry about already. Getting off this planet for one – compared to that, labour is going to be a stroll in the park, even if it happens in this jungle!"

"Well let's just hope we can get away quick and it doesn't come to that!" Hobbes was trying to reassure her by making a joke out of it.

Lex looked away – at first it had been nice to pretend. Now she felt they were reaching the limits of the fantasy. She could sit here and make chit-chat with this woman, make believe everything was totally fine, as if she was just like all those other women who had normal pregnancies and normal babies. That didn't make it real.

"When Myers wakes up I'll take him to get you some weapons and …other stuff." She said briskly "The sooner we can salvage the equipment and start making plans to get away from here the better."

Hobbes blinked in surprise. One minute they'd been talking quite happily, Lex had seemed friendly. The next minute the shutters had come crashing down. "You don't have to go today, do you?" Hobbes said "You could get some sleep – God knows you'll need it. If you give me the gun I'll keep watch – you'll be safe enough."

Lex gave her a brief smile, but she stayed where she was, back against the wall, dark eyes open.

* * *

She did sleep, eventually. She'd been walking all night and when Myers finally woke up she figured it was too late to start out for the crash site. Darkness would be falling soon and she didn't much like the idea of trekking across the planet at night if she could possibly avoid it – particularly as Myers had no camouflage unit and no mask. Exhaustion finally taking over, she lay down on a pile of blankets at the back of the cave and fell into a deep sleep.

"So Cap," Hobbes said to Myers "What do you think of our saviour?"

They were sitting across from each other, eating. They still hadn't made a fire, much as both of them would've liked to – Lex had spent some time impressing upon them that lighting a fire would advertise their presence here to the hunters more surely than anything else. In the absence of any hot food they were making do with cold beans out of the tin.

Myers nodded but didn't look up, wanting to avoid her gaze "She's something alright."

"Ain't that the truth." Hobbes raised her eyebrows and then said thoughtfully "Do you think she got kidnapped and dropped here, like us?"

Myers shook his head "Not according to her, she says she crash-landed. Said she had a ship."

"So couldn't we use that to get out of here?" Hobbes said, hope written all over her face.

"I don't think so," He shook his head "She says it's wrecked."

"Shit!" Hobbes gave a low whistle "I still can't believe she fought off those monsters. I mean the size of her! How the hell did she – "

"She's got weapons and an invisibility device – just like them."

Hobbes digested this piece of information in silence for a moment before saying slowly "So …. where did she get them from?"

They both glanced over to where Lex was curled up, one hand wrapped protectively around her stomach.

"She didn't say." He muttered "But I think she must have some connection with the aliens. She knows about them, told me that we're in the middle of a war, between those aliens and …. some others like them, I think."

"Why did she come here then?" Hobbes asked the obvious question.

"I got the impression she didn't have much of a choice."

"Tough break!" Hobbes bit her lip.

"Thing is," Myers said running a hand through his hair "I get the feeling our intrusion isn't exactly welcome either. She wasn't very friendly to me last night."

"Are you kidding?" Hobbes sounded disbelieving "If I was her, I'd be thanking my lucky stars to find other people out here!"

"Well for whatever reason, she wasn't looking too thankful."

"She's just cautious." Hobbes shrugged.

* * *

The next day dawned. The purplish tinge didn't quite leave the sky but at least Myers could see where he was going now. Hobbes they had left in the cave to rest. She able to move around albeit stiffly but she was still weak and in no fit state to be trekking through the jungle. Myers watched as she walked confidently but silently ahead of him. Even heavily pregnant, she moved well. He shook his head and tried to concentrate on watching their surroundings for enemies, though he wondered exactly how much use he could be on that score. He'd not been doing brilliantly up until now. At least she was wearing her mask, so hopefully she could see any possible threat. She'd finally explained to him about the alien's camouflage devices and the masks and what they did.

He noticed that her mask seemed to fit her face perfectly and was pretty similar in basic design to those of the aliens. He could only assume that she'd gotten it from them, reasoning she must have been aligned with them or with a rival group in some way. But then where were her allies? Why would they abandon her – alone and pregnant and surrounded by enemies? She remained frustratingly tight-lipped on the subject and he couldn't quite puzzle it out. He couldn't imagine why any man would let this woman get away "If she was having my baby, I wouldn't have left her here alone." He thought "Maybe she's the one who left? That would make more sense, but she must've been pretty desperate. Coming here alone when she knows it's the middle of a war zone – what the hell would drive her to take such risks? What in God's name is she running from?"

* * *

Lex hoped that the Bad Bloods wouldn't find Hobbes. The woman still had her automatic weapon and Lex had told her to lie low, but the Private was still tired and weak. It would be a few days before she was really able to do very much at all. She just prayed the hideout she'd chosen was far enough away from the Bad Bloods' central encampment.

Besides, she felt pretty confident they'd have more important things to worry about right now. If she knew Scar and the clan she imagined they'd be launching an offensive before very long and then this place would really become a battleground. "That's all I need." She thought wearily "Of all the stupid luck! The place I end up at is the one place Scar is sure to come."

Scar. She felt a stab of guilt about leaving the way she had. In the three days since she'd landed here she'd been so busy that she'd been able to avoid thinking about him, but now melancholy was setting in. The horror of what he'd done to the captured enemy fighter was fading gradually from her mind and, despite all her better judgement, she felt lonely and depressed.

She was glad to be near other humans after all this time. At least she had someone to talk to and the company was a distraction, even if they were something of a burden. No camouflage, no masks, no experience of fighting hunters at all … she snuck a backward glance at Myers. "He's a good-looking boy, though." She noticed, in a detached way "Blond hair, blue eyes, square jaw – teeth like a matinee idol. A bit too pretty to be a soldier, if you ask me. Makes you wonder how long he's been at it. How did he ever get to be a captain so young?"

She was trying to find her way back to the clearing where they had first met but after they had been walking for an hour or so, when she began to suspect they had taken a wrong turning. Without a map or any kind of tracking system like the hunters wrist-coms, negotiating the sweaty, insect-ridden miles of dense jungle was a real test of Lex's endurance – and her sense of direction.

"One twisty, gnarled-up tree looks just the same as all the others!" She thought, frustration rising up in her brain like a big hot cloud "I wish I had bought that damn bracelet – at least we wouldn't be lost now."

The jungle was filled with trails, very faint but still discernible. They'd possibly been made by yautja hunting parties or – more likely – their prey. From what Myers had said the night before she guessed that this was one of the many, tiny worlds where they brought their more amusing game, to be part of the great, never-ending chase.

Finally she managed to find the right track, finding her way back to the side of a huge river that cut through the trees like a silent, swift-flowing highway. It was so vast that the edges of it seeped out into a network of black, green-fringed ponds and shallows. She remembered some of them were almost invisible to the naked eye until you were knee deep in squelching wetness. She was sure this was the way she'd come before but rather than the fern and flower filled gully she'd been expecting, the river just seemed to go on and on without any familiar landmarks.

"Do you know where we're going?" Myers said eventually, He was looking muddy and dejected after sinking thigh deep into one particularly deceptive pool of boot-sucking sludge. Lex had had to pull him out, using a nearby tree branch. Now his trousers and boots were soaking.

"I'm sure the clearing was near here." She said "Just a little further down the river bank."

"These insects are really biting hard!" He groused.

She sighed irritably "Do you think it's easy to navigate my way round this hellhole?"

"No!"

"Well I've got enough on my mind without babysitting you!"

"Ok, ok!" He held out his hands "I'm sorry – "

"Shhhh!" She suddenly held our a hand to him, stilling any more noise, one finger of her other hand to her lips. Somewhere nearby she could hear a roaring noise, like the turbines of a huge machine. Almost certainly a waterfall, she thought – one like the one she'd passed on her way from the crashed shuttle to the cave. They moved quietly up the rise ahead, the river flowing past them down into the forested valley they had just come from. As they moved uphill Lex – acting on some unconscious instinct – dropped into a crouch and began to move up the slope stealthily. Myers followed her example and when they got to the top he was glad that he had.

Peering through a clump of the strange, funnel-shaped leaves they found themselves looking down on a high, sheer cliff top a torrent of white water poured down, hammering down into a deep plunge pool underneath. By the side of the falls the ground rose up in a steep hillside. Aside from scaling up the cliff it was the only way up to the track which led to the shuttle crash site. The pool spread out to fill a wide clearing. They'd obviously stumbled on the waterhole at drinking time and it was crowded. A group of creatures clustered around the edge of the pool, jostling and shoving each other aside as they all strove to get to the water at the same time.

Lex narrowed her eyes, squinting as she tried to work out what they were. They were large and greyish brown in colour, four-legged – their bodies a little like that of a rhinoceros but bigger. Huge, heavy feet ripped up the wet earth at the waters edge. Their heads were more reptilian looking, horned monstrosities with long crocodile jaws, full of razor teeth. Four tiny, beady eyes blinked along each massive snout. They seemed to be highly aggressive, snarling and snapping at one another as they lowered their heads down to the water.

"What are they?" Myers whispered behind her, trying to edge forward for a closer look.

"God only knows!" She shrugged "Some big, nasty creatures the hunters brought here as game. And any creature they want to hunt will be seriously bad news."

"But they hunt us!" He reminded her.

"And what does that tell you?" She looked at him sidelong before turning back to look at the creatures "Unfortunately they're in our way. We'll just have to sit and wait until they're gone."

"Can't we find another way round?"

She shook her head "Not unless you want to carry me up that cliff face – I scouted it out on my way past here last time, it goes on for miles. I can't risk climbing up."

He was about to answer her when they were interrupted by an infuriated bellow, so loud both of them clamped their hands over their ears. Spinning round they saw that one of the enormous creatures seemed to be falling into the water. It had fallen to its knees in the shallows and was thrashing around as if in distress. The other creatures watched in alarm for a moment and then began to stampede, tearing through the foliage, even knocking over trees in their panic to get away, luckily not towards Lex and Myers.

The two of them watched as the remaining beast continued to writhe and struggle, spraying water and mud in every direction. Lex stared, trying to work out what was wrong with it. It didn't seem to be able to get up but she couldn't see why. Then a chill ran up her spine as she noticed the mud coloured strands winding around its body and suddenly the penny dropped.

"Oh please no!" She thought "Not one of them –"

More and more of the creature was disappearing as the water seemingly rose up to claim it. Muddy-coloured slime oozed up its forelegs and swarmed over the surface of its skin. Its bellowing and struggling got weaker by the second.

She was so absorbed in watching the shape shifter that she barely noticed that Myers had stood up beside her and had begun creeping forward, edging round the side of the pool, gun in hand. "Myers!" She hissed "Get back here!" But he didn't hear her over the noise of the grey lizard and carried on "He hasn't seen the shape-shifter!" She thought and again tried to attract his attention.

When he was about halfway round he turned and looked back at her, beckoning with one hand "Come on! It's stuck!" He mouthed the words, puzzled as to why she was still frozen, crouching behind the clump of leaves. She shook her head vigorously and motioned to him to come back. He beckoned her again, clearly thinking she was just spooked by the grey monsters.

At that moment the beast let out a weakened moan as the sludge engulfed its front legs. Its bulk slumped forward and toppled into the mire with a ground shaking thud, gouts of mud spurting up around it. The shape shifter was still seeping over the creatures body, but to the untrained eye it just looked like part of the mud that now covered everything nearby where the beast's thrashing had splattered it over everything.

She watched with mounting anxiety as Myers advanced along the bank, passing heart-stoppingly close to the shape shifter. "Myers!" She tried again, gesturing furiously, not wanting to raise her voice in case she attracted its attention "Get back here now – it's dangerous!"

He heard her this time and turned. To her horror he laughed and shouted back at her "You can come out now! It's dead!"

At the sound of his voice the mass of the shape-shifter finally emerged, rearing up out of the water. "Look out!" She yelled. Myers turned in alarm just in time to see the glutinous mass seething over the body of the grey lizard. He gave a strangled yelp and fell back – too late – as a thin sticky tendril shot out and wrapped itself around his calf, yanking him to the floor. Unable to stay where she was any longer she stood up and took aim. She wasn't going to risk going too near but she couldn't stand by and watch him be swallowed by that pulsating horror. She fired a shot at the tentacle that held his leg – it broke and he fell forward. Almost immediately the writhing blob shot out another, thicker strand, this time catching hold of his ankle and began dragging him backwards. His fingers scrabbled along the floor leaving long tracks in the mud, until finally catching hold of a thick tree root that twisted across his path.

"Get it off me!" He bawled, obviously panicking. He was too busy holding on to the branch to pull his own gun.

She fired again, but this time the plasma cannon seemed not to be as effective. The strand quivered but didn't break. Myers held onto the root grimly but the thing kept jerking him from side to side and Lex could see more strands beginning to swarm up his leg. It would only be a matter of moments before he finally lost his grip and then he would be devoured…. there was only one thing left for her to do.

"I'm sorry Myers." She said, her tone flat and unemotional as she levelled the gun at his head, aiming between his eyes.

His eyes went wide with shock as he realised what she was about to do "NO!" He screamed "No please! Don't kill me!"

The panic in his voice made her pause. She stood for a moment undecided, pointing the gun at him, then she wavered, seeing the desperation in his eyes. A tiny chink of pity appeared in the armour she'd built around herself. She had to at least try to save him. Her hand went to her belt where she kept her explosives, she remembered Scar had hurt the shapeshifter from the tar pit using an incendiary grenade. Partly that had been because it had been coated in tar, but it was worth a try. She got one ready in her hand and, gritting her teeth, she edged forward. Getting as close as she dared, she took aim at the tendril that held Myers and with the other hand flicked the catch that activated the grenade. Then she fired – blasting the tentacle at point blank range. There was a squealing noise as the shape shifter sizzled in the heat and the tendril finally broke its hold. At that same moment she threw the grenade and grabbed Myers by the arm, dragging him away and up the slope as fast as she could, firing a few more shots at the shape shifter to discourage any more snaking feelers. They were half-falling, half-skidding down the slope as fast as they could when the grenade went off, almost knocking them both to the ground. As soon as the explosion had died away, she pushed herself to her feet and began to pull him along again, carrying on running back the way they'd come. "Wait!" Myers gulped after a minute or two "Lex! Slow down! Surely that thing must be dead! Why are we still running?"

"It's not dead!" She gasped, pulling at his arm "Believe me, just come _on_!"

After they'd put enough distance between them and the waterfall and Lex was satisfied they weren't being pursued, she subsided onto a rock, panting for breath. Myers sat opposite her, shaking.

"You were going to kill me!?" He said after a few minutes, shock and disbelief making his voice shake.

She didn't answer, shaking her head and blowing out her cheeks.

"I mean I didn't even see that thing!" He said dazedly "What the hell was it?"

"A shape-shifter. I have hunted them before, on a different planet." She said "The hunters must have brought them here. We're just lucky it had already got hold of some larger prey, I'd guess that's why it's not pursuing us – but we need to get away from here. That noise might bring hunters down on us any minute!"

"It sure was fast – and well camouflaged!" He said "I didn't even see it and I was standing right next to it!"

"Yes. I noticed." She said, in acid tones.

"What … was it doing?" He was still dazed, rubbing the sweat out of his eyes.

"Feeding." She replied shortly "You were lucky, another few seconds and you'd have been grateful for a quick death."

He stared at her, incredulous.

"I'd have been doing you a favour, believe me." She said "It's more than you deserve for your stupidity."

He was speechless for a few moment, then he said "You sure are cold! I mean I know I screwed up but – damn! You don't have to be so … so … fierce all the time. I didn't mean to - "

"Do you ever stop whining?!" She snarled, springing suddenly to her feet and grasping hold of the front of his shirt "This is life and death – you nearly got us both killed! I save your life and you're still snivelling!"

With that she released him and turned away angrily to start pushing through the undergrowth again. He followed her mutely, not wanting to say anything in case he made her angry again. He had to admit she'd got a point. He was the professional soldier and she was – as far as he knew – a civilian, plus she was pregnant. Yet so far, she was the one who always seemed to be in control of the situation.

"What do I really know about her?" He wondered "I've told her plenty about me but I still don't really know anything about her other than her name." He looked at her suspiciously. Now he thought about it, there was something almost …. _inhuman_ about her.

"You said you hunted them before – on another planet." He began slowly, she half turned to look at him "How can that be? Who the hell are you?"

She regarded him for a long moment as if considering the answer. Finally she shrugged "What does it matter? We're here now." She looked up at the sky.

"We'd better get going if we want to get to where I killed those hunters before nightfall. We'll have to walk all the way round that cliff and it's miles. Let's just get moving and as far away from that _thing_ as possible."

With that she turned and walked away from him.

Despite the detour caused by the shape-shifter they reached the clearing a good while before nightfall. She did a quick scout around before de-cloaking, trying to see if the corpses of the three hunters had been interfered with – for signs that other hunters had been here. They were still lying pretty much where she'd left them.

Motioning for Myers to help her she began searching the bodies – taking weapons, ammunition, food, water – anything she thought they could use. She even thought about taking their masks and cloaking devices but in the end she decided they wouldn't be any use. They tried to fit one of the creatures' masks on Myers but it was no good, it was simply too big and his face shape was all wrong. As for the camouflage units, they wouldn't hide him from anyone using thermal imaging.

She took a speculative look at the wrist computers they wore – the writing was just about decipherable but the language and the configuration were strange, no use taking them either then. She gathered up the weapons they could use and thrust them into his arms. They began the long trek back through the gathering dark in silence.

* * *

Scar stepped off the captured Bad Blood ship and watched the other hunters on the squad come down the gangway.

He continued to feel oddly disengaged from everyone since the battle on the Void Cutter. The others continued to treat him differently. They avoided him or if they could not, spoke in careful tones, as if walking on eggshells. He only had to speak and other males hurried to do his bidding, even though officially he was only a lieutenant and still of fairly inferior status.

His appearance definitely had something to do with it. Wrist strengtheners made from wide bands of flayed Bad Blood skin wrapped around his forearms. The black and grey mottling made it pretty obvious what they were. Wearing trophies was not uncommon, but to wear skin taken from another yautja? That was bordering on sick.

Khurshad stood at the bottom of the ramp, consulting his wrist-com as the last member of the squad stepped off the gangway. He'd left Scar more or less alone for the duration of the shuttle ride after their initial confrontation – Scar suspected because Khurshad always seemed to come off worst in their verbal clashes.

They were a small group – only six – but Nar'Jat had explained that was a deliberate strategy. There were few enough of them that they could all carry one of the Bad Blood's superior cloaking devices. Each of them had one of the large packs strapped across their shoulders. They seemed to be back to full working order once the water from the fire-dampers had evaporated off them. The technicians had spent a few hours tinkering, testing them and working out the controls. The way they operated was not so very different from their own technology. They had removed the transmitters that the Bad Bloods had installed so that they could check up on one another's location whilst invisible. They had also removed a similar device from the stolen enemy shuttle. With its cloaking technology, their objective was to slip past the enemy's defences, as undetected as the invading Bad Bloods had been on board the Shadow.

Khurshad growled. The other males turned to watch him, a couple of them still muttering amongst themselves.

" _Be silent!"_ Khurshad roared furiously, the hunters who'd been talking stopped _"I hope you are paying attention, because our objective is to find the Bad Blood's base of operations and destroy it_. _Our first step will be to do a sweep of the planet and I expect each of you to destroy as many of the enemy as you can."_

" _Squad leader?"_ Scar raised one talon, pronouncing Khurshad's title with an ironical sneer.

Khurshad turned to look at him, as did the whole squad. Privately he felt triumphant. He didn't need to bellow and roar as Khurshad did. He had their full attention anyway, because not one of them dared turn their back on him.

" _What is it, S'Kia?"_ Khurshad said irritably.

" _Will we not be drawing attention to ourselves if we start killing leeches?"_ He asked.

"Khurshad was not happy at being corrected in public. _"What?"_

Scar shrugged, shaking his head _"Surely we would be better to observe them for now?"_ He said, hiding his amusement at Khurshad's rage _"Remain hidden until we have assessed the situation here?"_

" _Do not be ridiculous!"_ The squad leader spluttered _"Stealth is of course paramount, but the sooner we start wiping them out the better. You just have to make sure you do it quietly and quickly, do not give them a chance to alert their fellows to what is happening. A silent, instant death! Do you think you can manage that, U'darahje? {trans: Abomination}"_ Khurshad stepped up close to him

" _Just as you say."_ Scar said quietly.

* * *

It was dark by the time they made it back to the caves. Myers could tell that Lex was tired but making a huge effort not the show it. When they were well inside the cavern she sat down carefully, easing her back against the wall.

She accepted the water that Hobbes offered her and ate some food without speaking. He noticed that she had not once eaten their rations but seemed to have food of her own. Squinting through the darkness he couldn't really tell what it was, but from what he could make out it looked and smelled unpleasant. Then she sat with her eyes closed, breathing very slowly as if exhausted or sick.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Hobbes asked him.

He produced the cache of weapons they'd taken from the dead creatures. Pulling out one of their laser cannons he gave it to her. She turned it over in her hands, eyes wide like a child with a new toy "What the hell is this stuff!" She breathed "It's like nothing I've ever seen."

"Alien weapons." He said, trying to speak quietly enough so that Lex couldn't hear "Honestly Hobbes, you would not believe the shit I've seen today!"

"Did you see more of those things?" She was immediately tense.

"No, only those dead ones from the other night," He shook his head "But we saw something else, some kind of flesh eating blob. I was nearly sucked right into it. Made my blood run cold!"  
"So how did you get out?"

"She helped me," He jerked his head towards the other woman "But not before she came damn close to blowing my fucking head off!"

Hobbes didn't answer him, she was turning over a wicked looking throwing blade in her fingers.

"Incredible!" She whispered "Myers do you realise how incredible this is? A whole alien civilisation and we had no idea! We're probably some of the only humans ever to see them. Isn't that amazing!?"

"Yeah, outstanding." He said sarcastically "I'll appreciate the wonder of it a whole lot better when we're far away from this shithole!"

Both of them jumped as a piercing cry cut through the night outside, some strange animal calling in the trees. As one they turned to look at Lex. She was so deeply asleep, she hadn't moved a muscle.

* * *

She was back in the main hall on board the Void Cutter, except this time it was Scar she watched being skinned alive. She stood rooted to the spot, throat constricted with horror, as his flesh was stripped away. Rivulets of emerald green blood poured down his body. Finally she found her voice and screamed wanting it to stop. His head turned, yellow eyes glowering at her balefully. Tears of blood streamed from his eyes and drooled from the corners of his mouth _"Stop your whining!"_ He said in a poisonous hiss _"You shame both of us!"_

"Don't say that!" She said "I just want you to live! I want the baby to live! I'm sick of all this death!"

" _Death will follow you wherever you go."_ He replied _"You are a killer and so am I and you are carrying yet another killer inside you. Did you not know this?"_

"Don't say that!" She said fiercely.

" _A blasphemous monssssster."_ His voice distorted horribly as another layer of skin peeled away from his body like wet tissue paper _"What else do you expect from the child of abomination?"_

A kick from the baby woke her with a start. She sat up in the darkness, soaked in sweat, water streaming from her own eyes. The cave was quiet and dark. Only the noise of birds and the hum of insects came from outside. She glanced around. In the moonlight, she could see Hobbes asleep. Getting to her feet, she stumbled to the mouth of the cave to get some air and to free herself from the lingering shadow of the dream.

She walked out into the orange moonlight and sank down onto a fallen tree trunk. Tears were still flowing and she let them fall, burying her face in her hands.

Suddenly a nearby voice saying "Lex?" Her hand was halfway to her sidearm before she realised who it was. She'd thought herself alone. Her eyes were so blurred with wetness that she hadn't even noticed Myers sitting nearby, right on the other end of the tree she sat on.

"Dammit Myers!" She gasped "I could've shot you dead!"

"Calm down!" He said, holding out a hand "Are you alright?"

She nodded but it was obvious that she wasn't. Her breathing sounded uneven from crying. She still looked weakened and desperately vulnerable. He'd been hating her earlier for the way she'd spoken to him. Now, crazily he found himself wanting to do something to help her. She was so hostile, so outwardly cold and yet underneath it there was pain.

He looked away while she composed herself, surveying the jungle around them. Glowing yellow fireflies – or some alien alternative to them – left burning trails of light in the violet darkness, strangely shaped night-blooming flowers had opened up around them and their scent hung sweetly in the air. Above them stars glittered like diamonds. "If I wasn't so terrified this place would be quite beautiful." He thought.

"I was just wishing that we were back on Earth," he said with a rueful smile "Bet you wish that too right now."

"Well drugs and medical science would be welcome," She said "But I'd still have problems on Earth, even if it were possible to get there. People would be after me."

"Is that why you left?" He said "You're running away?"

"It certainly helped me make my decision, but no, it wasn't the main reason."

"Then what was it?" he persisted "What are you doing here?"

She sighed "Well it's complicated, but I guess the real reason was that I... got involved with someone … someone I shouldn't have."

"There were other humans with you?" He said. She looked away but he carried on, wanting to get as much information out of her as he could before this uncharacteristic talkative spell wore off "Is that who you're running away from? Your baby's father?"

She was quiet for a long time, then she sighed "I don't know. I thought I wanted to escape but now…" She tailed off and clasped her hands over her eyes "It's all such a mess. Just a huge…. fucking mess."

"You don't have to worry." He said drawing almost within touching distance of her "We'll help you."

She said nothing but heaved a huge sigh. He was seized by a sudden impulse of sympathy he reached out and took her hand in his. He'd only meant to comfort her but the effect on her was electric. She wrenched from his grasp, leapt to her feet and smacked him in the face, snapping his head to one side.

He stared at her, too stunned to speak. One hand involuntarily raised to the place where the blow had connected.

"What?" He shook his head in confusion, eyes wide, thinking she'd gone crazy.

"Don't touch me!" She hissed "How dare you?!"

"I'm sorry." He whispered, his tanned face going white "I just wanted to… it's just… you looked – I'm sorry! Really sorry!" He gasped. She looked so angry that he was seized by a sudden, hysterical fear that she might… what? Kill him? Betray them to the enemy? Go off and leave them behind – but where would she go?

Her eyes were black with rage, "Don't ever touch me." She growled.

"Please – I didn't mean to offend you! I just thought -"

"You just thought what?!"

He stared at her, a look of utter shock.

"Just don't." She turned to go "I'm going back to sleep."

He opened his mouth to speak again it but she cut him off, holding out a hand – one finger upraised against him "Tomorrow we go to the shuttle."

With that she turned and strode back into the cave, leaving him staring after her dumbfounded.

* * *

When the pinkish dawn broke the next morning, Lex was dry-eyed and calm. Only a hint of pallor on her skin gave any hint that she'd had anything but a peaceful night's sleep. She sat with Hobbes, also an early riser, and ate a little food, watching the mist around them clear.

She barely said two words to Myers when he appeared, partly angry with him and partly with herself for the way she'd reacted. They trekked most of the way to the shuttle in silence. Lex had been hoping against hope that, despite all her fears, it might still be capable of flight. One look at it told her that wasn't going to be the case.

She was, however, slightly encouraged to find that the interior wasn't totally burnt out. She had a good look round to make sure they weren't being observed before they clambered inside. The grenade had scorched and wrecked the console but the shell was still intact and she knew there were more tools, weapons and equipment in its storage compartments and the rear of the cockpit was largely untouched by the fire. She rummaged in the storage compartments, pulling out various bits of kit and shoving them into Myers outstretched arms – her old breathing mask that she knew would fit a human face, weapons, spare clothing – along with any supplies she could find. She hoped they wouldn't need much more food and clean water than they had back at the caves – she hoped they'd be able to leave soon.

She'd been turning over various plans in her mind – trying to think how they could get hold of a functioning ship. At the moment the only idea she'd been able to come up with was stealing a Bad Blood shuttle but she knew it was a crazy, stupid plan.

She hadn't mentioned it to Myers, not trusting him enough to be totally honest with him. There was a possibility that at some point she might have to cut these humans loose if she wanted to get out of here – the shape shifter episode had made her sharply aware of that. She'd saved them from the Bad Bloods on impulse. She'd known she was taking a stupid risk but seeing other human beings under attack she'd felt compelled to help. They would certainly have died without her intervention.

Since then she'd been weighing up how much use they could really be to her against her own fear of going into labour alone. She told herself that she had to be cold, unsentimental – she had the baby to think of. If they could work together then fine, but she couldn't afford to let them slow her down. So far she had been unable to reach a conclusion on what to do for the best.

"Got everything you need?" his voice cut through her reflection.

She nodded "We ought to get out of here." She said staring out of the doorway at the jungle. "Those enemy hunters still must think that one of the rival clan was on board this shuttle and they may come back."

"How do you know so much about them?" He asked suddenly

She said nothing, continued packing up the gear.

"You've got the same guns and armour they have – did they give them to you? Is that what you meant when you said you'd been hunting on other planets?"

Lex's first impulse was to deny everything, but then again what did it matter? They were hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth; Myers didn't even really know where they were. Who could he tell?

"Yes. I was with them, living on their ship about a year and a half." She said shortly and began to clamber down, out of the shuttle.

"But I thought you said they kill humans, that they hunt us?" He said, as he climbed down after her "How come they didn't kill you?"

"I did one of them a favour once – saved his life." She said dropping lightly to the floor "In return, he felt he owed me one. He took me on board their ship."

"Some favour." He sounded doubtful.

"I wouldn't be alive now if he hadn't."

"So why are you here on your own – where are the other humans who were with you?"

She shook her head but didn't speak.

"What about the other aliens, the ones that are your friends?" He asked. They were pushing their way back through the fronds now. Clouds of buzzing insects all around were getting in Myers's eyes and hair, flying into his mouth.

"Friends – ha!" She said scornfully "I doubt most of them would see it that way! They aren't like us – they're violent, brutal. Utterly without sentiment, without compassion."

"Is that how you managed to survive with them all that time?" He said, swatting a stinging insect that had landed on his neck "By becoming like them?"

She was quiet for a long time. When she finally spoke her voice was quiet, he had to strain to hear her "Is that what you think?"

"Well … you were going to kill me yesterday." He said.

She fell silent again, thinking.

"You've got to understand," She said after a long pause "I've done things that I'm not proud of. You're a soldier, you should know how that is. I can't afford weakness."

He let that pass without comment, seeming to be turning over her words in his head "What about the one who saved you?" He said after a while " _He_ can't have been totally without compassion."

She scowled under the mask, wishing he would just let the matter drop. She shook her head "He's just the same as all the rest of them." She said finally "Savage, cruel and … well, I just hope he's a long way away from here."


	17. Chapter 17

Scar watched the Bad Bloods from his vantage point up in the trees. The sun was currently high in the sky, although on Hirai the perpetual cloud cover meant that even the middle of the day the dim purple light simply changed to a dim, pinkish glow. Far from being cold, the layer of vapour kept the planet at a sweltering temperature whilst also adding purplish or pinkish tint to the sunlight filtering through them, depending on the time of day.

So far what the leech had told him seemed to be proving true. This place was crawling with Bad Bloods. He was amazed their instruments here had not picked up the invaders presence before now, but knew it must be for similar reasons that the alarm systems on the Shadow and the Void Cutter had not been activated.

Halkrath, the scientist, had explained it to him. Somehow the Bad Bloods could fool their computer systems by feeding it wrong information, convincing the computer that false data was being received by its own instruments. As for the cloaking device, his head was still spinning from his conversation with the science officer – one of the few males on board the Cutter that still spoke to him normally.

Halkrath had known him a long time and still remembered him as a juvenile. In any case, Scar suspected that the older male had very little interest in anything that went on outside the ships laboratory, sharing as he did the same rarefied status within the clan as the medics and engineers. He knew things others didn't; therefore he existed slightly outside the state of vicious, backbiting, perpetual war that was the clan's social hierarchy (although Scar suspected that scientists, medics and engineers did plenty of vicious backbiting amongst themselves).

In the days before he left the Cutter, Scar had passed the lab in a moment of bored melancholy and the scientist had accosted him. He'd enthusiastically explained the workings of the device to him – grateful for anyone who'd listen to him holding forth on his new favourite toy. Scar had listened because any distraction from his own thoughts was welcome to him at that moment.

In many ways, Halkrath said, the device was not unlike his clan's cloaking units. It consisted of an energy field that reflected the wearer's surroundings and concealed him from sight. The refraction generated by the new model's field was of a higher resolution than that of their own contraptions, meaning the telltale distortion that could give you away was no longer in evidence. Even to the trained eye, an attacker wearing this device was pretty much totally invisible.

This, however, was only the start of the innovations the new model boasted. Even when cloaked with their own units, another yautja could detect your presence simply by using his mask's vision settings. Your body's natural heat and electrical impulses – plus the heat from the device itself – would give you away.

Wearing this new cloaking unit, however, that ceased to be a problem. As well as reflecting the light outwards, the field it generated also channelled energy signals inwards, making them undetectable even with thermal or EM vision.

" _I do not understand."_ Scar had said, frowning _"If it reflects heat inwards, why would the wearer not be cooked alive within the field?"_

" _Hah – yes!"_ The science officer spread his jaws in a grin, delighted to have an interested audience for once _"You would think so – but that is what is so clever! This large unit you wear on your back,"_ He tapped the device with a claw _"It generates and contains a microscopic black hole!"_

He paused,but the younger male's expression remained blank _"It is a heat sink! That is where the excess energy is dumped,"_ He explained _"This device channels the energy radiating from the body into the vortex and it disappears, hence you are invisible to enemy eyes!"_

" _So… if I wear this contraption… I will be carrying a black hole around with me?"_ Scar's voice was disbelieving, he knew something about black holes from piloting the shuttle _"That sounds ... ill-advised. Is there not the possibility of being sucked into it?"_

" _It is only very tiny."_ Halkrath said _"The size of an atom, the event horizon is miniscule._ _Microscopic_ _! The energy only falls into it because the device channels it there."_

Scar shook his head as he stared at the surrounding rainforest. Even now, it all sounded so complicated he was having trouble getting his brain around it. Another mystery that neither he nor Halkrath had been able to understand was how the Bad Bloods had been able to come up with this innovation. They were not renowned for their intelligence or tactical ability, usually relying on their superior size and strength to carry the day. Technologically his own clan had always been miles ahead of them, it was their main advantage and until now it had allowed them to keep their would-be exterminators at bay. But now the Bad Bloods seemed to have the edge. How had they been outstripped in such spectacular fashion?

The leech he'd tortured hadn't been able to tell him. Scar was pretty sure he hadn't known. He suppressed the memory, resolutely turning his mind back to the task in hand. His eyes followed the Bad Blood scouting party as it passed underneath them, totally unaware that they were walking into a trap _"Does your group have them in your sights, S'Kia?"_ Khurshad's voice breathed in his ear through the mask's intercom. Hand signals were useless when they were unable to see one another and the whole squad was cloaked, totally invisible, even to each other. With their own devices it had been possible to see the outlines of your team mates if you knew they were there. These new models were so effective that keeping tabs on one another using the sat-coms wasn't an option and constant whispered communication over the mask radios was the only way.

" _Cold and dead, squad leader."_ He said neutrally, engaged the targeting system on his plasma caster.

* * *

It was late afternoon and the sun had sunk almost to the horizon by the time they began the walk back to the caves. Soon the perpetually violet-tinged light of Hirai would start darkening to the indigo of night time. The heat was so intense it was almost like a physical presence, moisture hanging in the air in great steaming clouds. To Lex it seemed that the jungle was getting denser by the mile, darker and more impenetrable than it had been on the way to the shuttle. So much so that she even wondered if she'd taken them by the wrong route. As they moved through the jungle she couldn't shake a looming sense of unease that was bearing down on her as inexorably as the onset of night.

Part of her wished she'd left Myers back at the cave, she longed to switch on the cloaking device and she knew it was the wisest choice but it was difficult with him there too. Another part of her was relieved he was with her. Her back was running with sweat and little tremors of pain were shooting through her abdomen. She'd never had a problem with heat before but now she was burning up and becoming increasingly worried that she might go into labour at any moment.

As they slogged down a slight slope into a shallow trough she suddenly felt a surge of nausea sweep through her. The heat rushed up her neck followed by a wave of chills, as if she was coming down with flu. She struggled on doggedly for another half an hour until the griping pains became too frequent to ignore. Her legs were trembling, her skin flushed. Myers came up behind her as she stopped and leaned heavily against a tree trunk.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked. She was breathing harshly but she wouldn't let him help her, holding out a hand to keep him away "I'll be OK in a moment." She panted.

"What's the matter?" he asked dumbly.

"Pains." She bit her lips.

"We should go back to the cave." He frowned.

She nodded and stood blowing her cheeks out for a few minutes before she was able to go on. She struggled on for a few more minutes before a grinding spasm meant she had to stop again, this time leaning her hands heavily on her knees. Fresh beads of sweat burst out on her forehead. She tried to get through it by breathing steadily until the wave had passed "What's the rush?" she muttered under her breath "Now is _not_ a convenient time!"

"You don't look so good." Myers watched her uncertainly "I don't think we should go on."

"Don't be ridiculous, we can't stay out here! It's – arggh! Fuck!" She squeezed her eyes shut as another tremor of pain shot through her.

"But you're about to have your baby!" He said, blue eyes wide in his tanned face.

"No! Not yet!" Her voice was cracking under the strain "It can't be yet – my waters haven't broken. It's probably just a false alarm -" She went to get up again and then had to stop, hunched double in agony "OK!" She panted, sinking down helplessly onto a fallen tree trunk "OK! Maybe we should stop here for a little while. Just let me rest, I'm sure it'll pass."

He watched her anxiously through the gathering dusk.

* * *

Blood spattered across the leaves as Scar slashed the throat of the last of the Bad Blood scouting party. He let the body drop without a second glance as he heard a voice calling his name. _"S'Kia! Come and look at this."_

He looked around Khurshad and the other members of the squad were busy with the rest of the scouting party. He followed the sound, pushing through the undergrowth to where Rika and Vassir were standing at the edge of a huge clearing. At least that's what he thought it was. As he got nearer he realised that what he'd taken for a natural break in the trees was actually a crash site. A wide swathe of forest had been torn up by a forced landing. His eyes followed the trail of destruction along before finally coming to rest on the object that had caused it. A shuttle, one he recognised.

" _That is one of our ships."_ Rika said, coming up behind him _"Is that not – "_

" _Yes,"_ Scar answered without turning to look at him _"It is the Umbra."_

" _What is it doing here? Did the Bad Bloods steal it when they attacked the ship?"_ Scar could hear the puzzlement in Rika's voice. He sighed, Rika was his friend – probably the only one he had left, the only one who didn't either fear or despise him – but he had never been the quickest on the uptake.

" _Perhaps."_ He began walking towards the derelict vessel, wanting to get there before anyone else _"Stay here. Tell Khurshad I am going to check it out."_ He said, knowing they would defer to him in Khurshad's absence.

" _If the leeches stole it, why would they crash it?"_ Said Vassir, one of the more astute members of the squad.

He made to follow Scar over to the burnt out craft but Scar motioned him to stay where he was and cautiously approached the open hatchway.

It felt strange seeing it once again, here in the jungle. This was the shuttle that had been more or less home for him during the months he'd spent on the human planet. That seemed like millennia ago now in a different lifetime, the memory lit with hazy, golden sunlight - not like this ceaseless dusk. He forced himself back to the present. He knew he hadn't much time before Khurshad appeared and he badly wanted to examine the crash-site first and on his own, without the squad leader's interference.

To his eyes it looked like the Umbra had been in a dogfight. The outer casing had been ravaged by plasma fire and one engine turbine was damaged. That would be consistent with a crash-landing. So if Lex had been on this shuttle, as he suspected, then where was she now?

The shuttle had fetched up lying on its side at a funny angle. Scar reached up and pulled himself up and through the hatch, filled with foreboding about what might await him inside. He looked around at the scorched and blackened interior. By the looks of things someone had detonated a grenade in here but he couldn't see evidence of any bodies. He went to the console to see if the shuttle's computer could tell him anything. Even a cursory inspection revealed it was wrecked beyond repair.

Leaning on the blackened console with one hand he reached up the other and pulled off his mask, breathing in the cocktail of scents. The stench of burning oil and other chemicals was almost overpowering but he couldn't smell charred flesh. He was sure he'd have been able to detect it even through the chemical stink.

What he could smell right away was Bad Bloods. They'd obviously been in here searching the place and quite recently too – _that_ was logical. But fresher than both the burned-chemical smell of explosives and the sickly, hormonal smell of the leeches was another scent, one that was maddeningly faint but there nonetheless, one he could scarcely fail to recognise. And she'd been here since the enemy scouting party, possibly even earlier that day, he was certain of it. So it seemed unlikely that she'd been taken prisoner. _"What was the infuriating bitch thinking?"_ He wondered _"Running off to the most dangerous place she could find!"_

He was about to turn and leave when he picked up another smell, just as recent. His mane rose off the back of his neck and his fists prickled with anger. It was human and it was male – he'd smelled enough of them at that human settlement back on earth to recognise that much. She'd been here with a human male, just the two of them together. A savage jealousy dug its needle teeth into him and he growled to himself. The hand gripping the console tightened – talons gouging into the metal.

" _I will find her and punish her! Kill this interloper she has taken up with and then make her suffer! Rip open her chest and pull out her still-beating heart! Then she will know how it feels…"_

As he stood for a moment breathing deeply to calm himself, this thought was replaced by another that came totally unbidden, illogical and contrary to all good sense _"I must find her. What if she needs my protection?"_

As soon as it popped into his mind, he shook his head in frustration. It was thinking like this that had led him into this impossible predicament. Brought low by a female, a human female at that. Why was he so weak? It was degrading to still feel this need to pursue her when she had rejected him.

" _I will not allow myself to be distracted!"_ He told himself, as his breathing slowed and his heart rate returned to normal _"I came here to destroy the Bad Bloods – that is my objective. She is just a… complication, as R'Zuul always told me."_

He slotted his mask back onto his face, fastening the pressurised screws in place so the rest of the squad couldn't see his thunderous expression. Dusk was setting in and darkness beginning to fall as he stepped off the shuttle

" _Did you find out how it got here?"_ Vassir called up to him.

" _Rika was right."_ He said, dropping to the floor _"It was stolen."_ He didn't want to mention anything about Lex to anyone else. Since she'd left, only Rika had questioned him about her absence. He'd growled something non-committal, exploding with temper when pressed. Rika knew him well enough not to push it further. He'd never been able to understand his friend's relationship with the human female and had no desire to.

" _Come on,"_ He said _"This shuttle is a wreck. This whole area is crawling with the enemy, we should go."_

" _I still do not understand why the Bad Bloods crashed it."_ Persisted Vassir.

" _Maybe they are too stupid to land it properly!" Rathik_ said with a chuckle. Scar turned on the pair of them. He didn't find jokes about their enemies' stupidity all that amusing or clever, considering that recently they seemed to be outwitting their own clan at every turn.

"Shut the hell up,"He snarled at them in English "And stop fucking around!"

The other two males looked at him in puzzlement _"Is that an ooman phrase?" Rathik_ asked.

Scar stared at him. For a second he couldn't work out what they meant. He'd just used the words without thinking. When he realised what he'd inadvertently said, it only made his mood worse. _"It means – idiot – stop asking questions and concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing! Before I lose patience with you!"_ He snarled.

As the other two members of the squad quailed before his displeasure, Khurshad came over _"Causing trouble again U'darahje? What are you quarrelling about now?"_

" _Just maintaining focus squad leader."_ Scar turned calmly to look at him.

" _And what is that shuttle doing here?"_ The older hunter jerked his head at the wreck of the Umbra _"It is one of ours, is it not?"_

" _Yessss Khurshad!"_ Scar's voice took on the little extra sibilance it always did when he was speaking to the senior male _"I have checked it out; it is a wreck – nothing worth salvaging. The Bad Bloods must have stolen it. Crashed it here."_

" _Hrrrrmmmmm."_ Khurshad's dubious rumble implied he didn't really think much of his lieutenant's opinion and he looked as if he might argue with him when they were interrupted by Surr'Kar, who'd been scouting out the nearby area. _"Squad leader, there is a heat signal trail. I think there is another scouting party sniffing around this area."_

" _Good."_ Said Khurshad, distracted by the prospect of more fighting. He turned to the rest of the squad _"Activate cloaking devices. We will follow them. Perhaps they can show us where on this gods-forsaken rock the Bad Bloods are hiding their base of operations."_

Scar cracked his knuckles thoughtfully as he followed after them. Suddenly he had a lot on his mind.

* * *

Only a half-hour earlier, Tikkrit, leader of the Bad Blood scouting party Scar's squad were currently tracking, had been standing just a short distance away from the derelict shuttle. He rattled his jaws in frustration. They'd found the lizard's shuttle but they hadn't been able to root out the lizard-skins themselves – and they had returned to try and find them a second time.

" _The little worms have probably gone to ground somewhere."_ He said irritably to Nagri, his second-in-command _"I like it not, having the devious insects running around unchecked_. _We need to prevent them from getting to the south side of this forest if we can or they will blow our cover."_

" _I tell you, there were no lizards on that shuttle when it came here!"_ Nagri insisted _"We searched the area thoroughly and found none and I could smell none on the craft and you know how they stink. The only scent I get from that shuttle is ooman. Kazik was there, he agrees with me!"_

" _Oomans?"_ Tikkrit's forehead wrinkled in annoyance _"Why would an ooman be piloting a yautja shuttle? Do not be a fool!"_

" _I know what my senses tell me,"_ Nagri said stubbornly _"And Kee'Lik says his patrol killed some oomans here. This place is a Rough Skull game reserve, know you not that? They might be left over from previous hunts.."_

" _Perhaps,"_ Tikkrit nodded, slightly mollified _"But that would still not explain why they would be onboard a shuttle and how they managed to down two scout ships."_

" _Who knows what the Bone Heads' logic is?"_ Nagri threw up his hands in exasperation _"They are crazy, you know that! Slaughtering themselves just to prevent us from getting their ship! Who is to say they do not let the livestock fly their shuttles -"_

" _Enough!"_ Tikkrit crackled _"Ooman or not, you have failed to track it and kill it. That will not reflect well on anyone here so let us finish our sweep of this area and make sure there is nothing ooman or yautja left alive here!"_

The rest of the patrol fanned out behind him and began to follow as they tracked, vanishing from plain sight as each activated their cloaking devices – though of course each was still visible to the others because they were all wearing masks with thermal imaging. They all knew about the special devices that could make you invisible even to another masked hunter but they were only reserved for the few at present.

It had been a great day when one of their scout teams had found one of the devices on one of their planetary territories. His clan's leadership had hoped it would mean the end of their territorial dispute with the Rough Skulls. Somehow this rival clan – the Bone Heads or 'lizards' as they were pejoratively called, because of their supposedly reptilian appearance – had always managed to stay ahead of them by means of their superior technology, or strategy, despite clearly being an inferior species physically.

It had taken some time for their technicians to reverse engineer the mechanism which made the device work and apparently its manufacture was quite complicated. They could not yet make enough for all warriors in the clan to have one – only enough to equip their specialist shock troops – and unfortunately they had lost some in the recent unsuccessful attempt to capture another Rough Skull ship. He cursed silently. As physically inferior and as crazy as they were, the lizards were dangerous enemies. Individually they were not generally very formidable but as a clan…. the sooner they could be wiped out, the better.

It was about midday when they picked up the ooman's trail a short distance away from the crash-landed Rough Skull shuttle. Nagri had been right about one thing he realised: there were oomans here or one ooman at least, being careless enough about their tracks that even a blind hunter could have followed them. The trail seemed quite fresh too, he anticipated they were not far behind their quarry, only a unit or so at most.

As the evening deepened into night it became clear that they were almost on them. All the signs were that the oomans had stopped somewhere for a while, possibly to rest – he knew they were not a very resilient species. From that point on the trail got a lot easier to follow and it was now clear that it was two they were tracking, not one.

Tikkrit flipped open his wristcom as the chirruping tone inside his mask signalled an incoming comminque from his superior, A'Kir. _"Tikkrit? Your current location is?"_

" _About to enter the Northern valley."_ He said _"We are tracking the oomans that arrived on the Rough Skull shuttle_."

" _I require that you turn back."_ His captain buzzed in his ear _"Something took out one of our patrols. I suspect a Rough Skull skirmishing party may be around – somewhere in the sector around the crash site. Forget the oomans, go back and rub them out."_

" _Whose patrol was it?"_ Tikkrit was incredulous that anyone could be so incompetent – to be bested by a bunch of lizards….

" _That is not your concern,"_ Came the angry reply _"Your task is to go back, find those intruders and kill them! I am already displeased with you and your team. This all seems a little too much of a coincidence with that crashed ship for my liking!"_

Tikkrit knew better than to argue with a direct order. He merely clicked his agreement and signed off, but as he turned to go, he hesitated. The ooman presence onboard the shuttle was strange – so strange that it made him uneasy. In his estimation the possibility of a large group of lizards having arrived on the crashed shuttle and evading the notice of his patrol was a slim one, as was the likelihood that another shuttle could have landed here without being detected.

" _If there are Rough Skulls here it is probably just one, maybe one or two males, at the most three – come to hunt."_ He thought _"After all, they know not that we are here. We probably will need not more than a few of us to capture and kill them."_

He thought for a moment and reached a decision – it would surely not take long for them to deal with the oomans either, they were so close to catching them. He turned to the eight-strong patrol and nodded.

" _We have reports of lizard activity back around that crash site but Kazik, little filth spawn have been crawling around. I want you to take these two and continue on this trail."_ He indicted two of his patrol with the tip of one talon _"Continue to follow the oomans. I want them dead. Nagri and the rest of you will come with me and check out the other intruders."_

" _But surely the oomans are of no consequence?"_ Kazik said incredulously.

" _You have yourself said that one of them was piloting that shuttle – is that not strange?"_ Tikkrit put his head on one side _"It could be some sort of Rough Skull plot, you know how devious they are. I want these ooman vermin tracked to their hiding place and put down, is that clear? It should not take you long and then you can regroup with us."_

* * *

A nasty suspicion was taking hold of Scar as he and the rest of his squad stalked the Bad Blood patrol across the miles of jungle. As they drew closer to their prey he became gradually aware that their quarry were also hunting something. He could see the signs of the human trail just the same as the Bad Bloods could and he thought he could guess who they were following. He didn't know if Khurshad and the others on the squad had noticed it – they hadn't seen or smelled the inside of the shuttle, so they didn't know that Lex was here. To him the little details stood out as if they glowed in the dark – it was infuriating. They were following her and the other human; he could feel it in his bones.

There was no help for it now, he would hunt the Bad Bloods down and kill them according to the plan. If she was there …. he shook his head and clenched his fists angrily. He would decide how to deal with her and the male… interloper when the time came.

He derived a certain amount of satisfaction from the fact that the leeches seemed utterly oblivious of being followed. He and the rest of the squad moved silently through the trees above their heads, keeping a reasonable distance so that they could speak to each other without being heard. Underneath them the Bad Bloods had come to a halt and seemed to be discussing something. He hissed to the rest of the squad to stop and leaned forward, straining to hear what was being said. Despite being the nearest he was still having difficulty making out their droning, buzzing voices. He listened for a moment, sensing the rest of the squad keeping still in the trees around him.

Rika on the branch next to him hissed _"What are they doing?"_

" _I believe they are discussing how stupid we are!"_ Both of them sniggered.

There was a movement in the air as Khurshad landed in the tree beside them, and the three of them hung over the Bad Blood's heads, watching. After a moments conversation the group split in half – one party started off towards a valley to the north, the other peeled off and went in another direction.

Rika scratched his head _"So which ones do we follow?"_

" _The sensors show more activity towards that valley to the north, we must follow them. The others are nothing!"_ Khurshad snorted dismissively.

Scar thought quickly. To him it was pretty clear, one party was following the humans and the other was going… who knew where? Later he was to wonder why he said what he did, but at the time he told himself that the decision was just common sense.

" _Squad leader,"_ He said, in as respectful a tone as he could muster _"Should we not follow both contingents? Are we not trying to find where they have stowed their equipment? Either group might lead us there."_

Khurshad regarded him for a long moment. Scar guessed that the older male was irritated by his suggestion and he knew there was a slight risk that Khurshad would refuse simply for the pleasure of asserting his dominance, but he wasn't too worried. He guessed that, to the squad leader the temptation to be rid of his irksome presence would prove too great too resist.

" _Very well."_ The senior male said finally _"Sur'Karr and Rathik and myself will follow the group headed back towards the shuttle. S'Kia, you take Rika and Vassir will follow the others. Stay in contact via the wrist-coms – just follow them, do not engage them unless absolutely necessary."_

" _Understood."_ Scar nodded, trying not to let his sense of satisfaction show _"Lucky you are not much of a thinker, Khurshad."_ He thought smiling mirthlessly under his mask _"You may be squad leader, but you are so predictable I can make you do whatever I want."_

* * *

Lex and Myers hadn't managed to get very much further. She'd taken off her mask while she rested, saying she felt hot and needed the air. He'd tried to put it on himself, so that at least one of them could keep watch, but it didn't fit him. His jaw was rather too broad. After what seemed like hours, her face no longer scrunched up periodically with the pain of the contractions. At least some colour had returned to her face and her limbs had stopped trembling. She insisted they move again, but going was slow.

Moving was getting more and more difficult for Lex. When she put herself under physical strain it caused spasms of pain to shoot through her. She was worried that if she overdid it, she would tip over the edge and finally go into labour for real. Initially she resisted all his efforts to help her – not wishing to show weakness – but eventually she was forced to accept the support, leaning on his shoulder.

They made their way as carefully as they could through the darkness, with her telling him the way. She had put her mask back on and could see the path they'd come by more clearly using the masks various vision settings.

"Are you sure this is the right way back to the caves?" He asked after what seemed like hours.

"Yes, I'm sure!" She groaned "It's only a few miles north of here."

Myers gazed around anxiously, he could hear rustling as alien creatures moved through the undergrowth around them but in the pitch blackness he could see nothing. Not for the first time, he wished he could use her mask. Though she was wearing it and still walked with her head upright he didn't know how aware of their surroundings she really was.

"Please let us make it back before she can't go any further!" He prayed silently "Or before something finds us …" A noise to off to the left made him look round in terror, a twig snapping. He looked at Lex to see if she'd heard it. Her head was moving to one side then the other, scanning the forest "Just an animal I think." She murmured "Jesus! I can hardly see straight, I'm so tired."

"Don't worry," He said, trying to make his voice sound unafraid "I don't think it was anything." But he couldn't shake the sensation that they were being watched. It was more than just the usual nightlife that he thought he could sense around them. Something was making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

As they stumbled down a shallow incline, another noise behind them made both of them freeze. Like the chittering of monstrous insects….

* * *

Scar heard the clicking drone of the Bad Bloods. It came echoing faintly up to him through the twisted, green vortex of the forest canopy. He surged forward, leaping from branch to branch as fast as he could, moving with increasing urgency. To his right and his left Rika and Vassir fell behind, struggling to keep up.

Dimly he became aware that he was being rained on. The hot precursors of a burgeoning storm were filtering through the leaves, gently at first, but then growing heavier and heavier as he moved. Stinging raindrops pelted down onto his bare skin. He ignored them and ignored too the warning hiss of Rika in his mask intercom. Soon the water would begin to affect the cloaking devices, soon they would all be visible. As he reached the source of the sound he began to get glimpses of orangey-red heat signals, dimly visible through the foliage. He came to a halt directly above the Bad Bloods, clinging on with one clawed hand to a huge, twisting branch and leaned down as far as he could, straining his eyes to get a better view. He saw two of the enemy standing beneath them and beside them a smaller figure, a human. It was not Lex – even at this distance he could see that – so it must be the male. Scar watched dispassionately. If the Bad Bloods wanted to dispatch this worm, he was certainly not going to stand in their way but then... where was she?

He felt the sense of movement beside him as Rika and Vassir finally caught him up. They were almost wholly visible now – as he surely must have appeared to them – wavering into view in bursts of coruscating sparkles as the devices crackled and shorted out. Not that the enemy down in the clearing had noticed. They were too busy with their prey.

* * *

Despite the suffocating heat of the jungle, Myers felt his spine turn to ice as the chittering grew louder. He looked around hopelessly – trying to see where the noise was coming from, but just like before he could see nothing.

"We're surrounded." Lex murmured next to him "There are at least three of them that I can see."

"Three of them?" He said hoarsely.

"Yes," She spoke through gritted teeth and he could see that she was soaked in sweat "One behind and two in front – damn!" This last came out as an agonised gasp as she doubled up in pain again.

"You have to use your cloaking device," He gripped her shoulder, trying to pull her to her feet "Disappear, get yourself out of here!"

It was as if she didn't hear him, he could hear her breathing heavily as he tried to get her to stand up again. "Lex!" He yelled, shaking her by the shoulder "Do it!"

With a hand that was shaking from strain, she reached up and activated the control on her arm. Immediately she vanished, only the pressure on the leaves underneath her showed that she was still where she had been.

The rustling noise came nearer and he turned towards it, eyes wide with alarm. She must have managed to stand because her voice said harshly in his ear "Run! Or they'll kill you."

"I can't just leave you here to die!" He gulped.

"Everyone's …a hero!" Her disembodied voice whispered "Just….. go!"

He pulled his plasma cannon – bent on making a valiant last stand – and began firing wildly, illuminating the forest around them as sparks rained down on them from where the bolts struck. As had happened before, it was clear he was hitting nothing. When he looked round he could no longer tell where she was, the foliage around them was undisturbed, she must be hiding, keeping very still. He suddenly felt very alone. He listened, trying to catch the sound of her breathing, but he could only hear the banging of his own heart. Of course he knew that she had no choice – she couldn't run and the only way that she might survive was to escape detection – but he was suddenly overwhelmed with fear. Without quite willing it, he started to run. As he pelted through the forest, something hot and wet struck his cheek followed by then another and another. Spears of rain began to pummel down onto the steaming leaf litter, sporadically at first but getting heavier by the second, the spattering drops as loud as gunshots.

He yelped as something erupted out of the jungle right in front of him, caused him to swerve to one side out of its way. A huge, dark shape stood right in his path, crackles of electricity crawling across its skin as it became visible. It bellowed and levelled a huge spear at him. Breath coming in shocked gasps, he threw himself back the way he'd come, scrambling down the slope. A bolt of plasma scythed towards him out of the darkness and he flung himself flat, feeling the heat singeing his hair as it passed.

He fell back again, horribly aware that he was being herded. As he stumbled forward into a small clearing, almost on his hands and knees, he turned to see two monstrous figures emerging from the undergrowth – their gruesome, bestial-looking masks regarding him blankly through the rain that sheeted down through the canopy. There was one on either side of him – cutting off his escape. He fell back against a tree trunk and fumbled for his plasma gun, fingers clumsy with panic. He'd barely got a grip on the handle when the nearest one threw some sort of spinning metal blade, two of them in quick succession. The first knocked the gun out of his grasp, the second pinned his shoulder to the tree behind him. It only pierced the fabric of his flak jacket – but as he struggled vainly to free himself it strode forward and seized him by the arm, yanking him off his feet into the air, the blade coming free and skittering away. It raised his face up to eye-level and let out a clicking, chittering sound. As he stared at it in abject terror, trying to blink the rain from his swimming eyes, some part of his brain could almost distinguish words in that awful, insectoid noise.

It tightened its grip on his shoulder, claws piercing his skin, and made the noise again. A second time – despite the paralysing fear – he got the distinct impression that it was asking him a question, but it was a question he was powerless to answer.

Behind him he heard a furious scream – a human voice that he recognised. His eyes swivelled to one side and he saw a third demonic figure, larger than the others, appearing through the grey curtain of rain dragging her by one leg. Crazily he was reminded of going hunting with his father, watching the old man dragging a wounded deer through the forest whilst it struggled vainly to free itself. Despite the agony she was in she was still trying to fight the thing. Yelling at it in a language he didn't understand – he could only assume was the alien's own language.

The rational part of his brain having all but shut down he began operating on automatic. His hand went instinctively to his belt and he pulled his knife, plunging it straight into the creature's side. It roared in pain and threw him across the clearing where he smashed into a tree, winding him painfully.

Fighting to breathe he hauled himself upright, looking up in time to see the hulking thing pull the knife out of its side and toss it down like a toothpick. It turned on him, letting out an inhuman howl of rage. Its fellows on either side began to close in but it waved them back, as if wanting to tackle him on its own. It began to stalk towards him with predatory intent.

* * *

" _Why so hasty S'Kia?"_ Vassir hissed.

" _Be silent, or they will notice us."_ He clicked impatiently, eyes fixed on the scene being played out below. Then he froze as another Bad Blood came into view, dragging something behind it. For a split second he thought it must be a dead animal – the way the leech was holding it. Then he saw that it was moving and that the shape of it was human and he realised who it had to be.

The others heard the low growl that rattled in his throat.

" _Khurshad said we are not supposed to engage them."_ Rika said warningly at his shoulder.

" _Khurshad can go and fuck himself!"_ He snarled.

" _But we were supposed to follow them only, not give ourselves away –"_ Rika persisted, grasping his wrist.

" _And you can join him!"_ He responded, tearing his arm free _"Or stay here cowering for all I care!"_

And with that he was gone, dropping noiselessly from the tree straight onto the Bad Blood directly beneath, his wristblades shooting out as he fell.

Rika and Vassir exchanged a glance. They couldn't see each others expression behind their mask but they didn't need to. Neither of them wanted to fall foul of Khurshad, but Khurshad wasn't here and the unspoken truth was the authority of the absent squad leader didn't carry anywhere near as much sway as the threat of S'Kia's unpredictable wrath. Anyway, it went sorely against the grain for a yautja not to fight once the battle had started.

Turning back towards the enemy in unspoken agreement, they attacked.

* * *

Myers watched as the biggest of the creatures, the one attacking Lex, went down suddenly. A dark shape plunged out of the tree tops, smashing it into the ground. Over the hiss of the rain, he actually heard the crunch of its helmet cracking as it hit the floor. There were animalistic noises as it grappled with its assailant, the attacker driving home his advantage by plunging his wrist blades repeatedly into the throat and spine of the larger creature.

He couldn't move, feeling rooted to the spot more tightly than when he'd been pinned to the tree. He felt as if events were spinning out of control too fast for him to follow. As he stared dumbly, there was a flash of white light. The creature who'd been threatening him a moment before stood for a moment as if puzzled, then its arms dropped limply to its side. Its comrade turned in surprise as its huge head slid very slowly forward off its shoulders – severed at the neck – leaving the smoking stump. Its body followed, folding up on a pile of wet foliage.

The last remaining enemy warrior soon had problems of its own as it came under attack, staggering back as a smaller shape landed on its shoulders. It flailed at its aggressor for a moment and then it was hit in the back by a bolt of plasma, going down in a spray of greenish mist, the smaller figure leaping clear as it fell. As it struggled to get up a third figure dropped from the trees and skewered it with a spear – pinning its torso to the ground.

All was still for a few seconds in the clearing – there was silence apart from the dwindling spatter of the dying rain shower. Now Myers could see the things that had killed their attackers, he wasn't convinced they had been rescued at all. He could see that they were also some kind of alien, not dissimilar to the ones who'd ambushed them. They were smaller, but still big in comparison to a human. About seven or eight feet tall at least. Their skin was a different colour – ranging from greyish green to sandy – and their masks were plainer.

He remembered Lex saying that these aliens were at war with each other, so this must be the other side. He looked at across the clearing trying to see where she was, to see if she was alright.

In the dim light he could make her out – she'd taken off her mask and hauled herself into sitting position. Rising slowly to her feet, she leaned heavily against a tree. Even in this light he could see that she was breathing hard. Lying next to her was the collapsed bulk of the creature that had been going to kill her. He watched as one of the new aliens, bigger than the other two, straightened up from where it crouched atop the body of its defeated adversary and looked at her with a spine-tingling growl.

As it turned its attention towards the woman, he felt his heart sink. Had they been rescued from the first lot of monsters only now to be slaughtered by these new ones? He wasn't sure why Lex had chosen to turn her camouflage off, perhaps it had malfunctioned in the rain the same as the aliens devices seemed to have done. Whatever the reason, he couldn't stand by and watch these things butcher a pregnant woman.

He cast around frantically for a weapon and then saw his plasma cannon lying only a few feet away. Scrambling over he grabbed it and stood up, wincing at the pain in his bruised side. "Hey you! Ugly!" He shouted "Get the hell away from her!"

The woman and all three aliens turned abruptly. The largest one looked at him for a moment, then at Lex, then back at him. She opened her mouth to say something but before she could speak the thing gave a long, enraged snarl and launched itself across the clearing at him. His hand holding the plasma cannon came up but it was too fast. As he fired it darted to one side and the shot missed completely, zipping off harmlessly into the darkness.

Before he could squeeze off another shot the creature was in front of him. He was already stumbling backwards as it smacked the gun out of his hand and just managed to dodge as it swung one huge fist at his head. Scrambling out of its reach as quick as he could he ducked behind a tree, trying to get some breathing space. The alien growled and lunged at him again, trying to catch hold of him.

To his astonishment he heard Lex calling behind him, through teeth gritted in pain "Stop it! Don't be so fucking stupid – he's just trying to protect me!"

"Protect you?" He gasped as claws snatched at the space where he'd been seconds before "He's trying to fucking kill me!"

The creature growled and lunged at him again – this time hitting him in the chin with a fist like a wrecking ball, knocking him to the floor.

"Will you just cut out this macho bullshit and forget about him?" Lex howled, sinking to the floor "I need you to help me _now!_ "

"Who the fuck's going to help me?" Myers thought, just managing to roll to one side as it aimed another blow at his head. He rolled unsteadily upright but before he could get his balance the alien had seized him by the throat. Slamming him against a tree, it brought its face right up close to his own and roared like an enraged tiger. Pulling back a fist to hit him again, it unsheathed its wrist knives with a scream of metal.

This time Lex didn't speak, she just cried out – a long, drawn out wail of pain. As Myers hung there struggling helplessly the creature paused and half turned towards the noise, raindrops coursing down the front of its mask. Myers choked and spluttered, trying to think how he could get this monster off him whilst it was distracted but he couldn't think straight. He was starting to black out through lack of oxygen, his face was almost purple and his eyes bulged. Then, shaking its head, the thing turned back to him.

Lex cried out again, but this time there were words in it that he didn't understand. At the noise the creature shuddered and released its grip on his throat, dropping him on the floor like it had forgotten all about him.

* * *

Scar pulled his wrist knives out of the unmoving corpse of the Bad Blood and sheathed the blades. Straightening up, he turned to where Lex was leaning against a tree with both hands as if exhausted. Then she looked up, black eyes glinting. Even though he knew her to be a faithless, duplicitous, conniving ooman bitch, he couldn't stop the treacherous surge of what was it: Joy? Misery? Relief? Fury? More like a sickening mixture of all of these…

Taking in her facial expression, the pallor of her skin, the way she was standing, he realised she was in pain. Had she been injured? Anxiety washed over him before he could stop it and again he cursed his own weakness.

All this flashed through his head in a matter of seconds. As he stood there fighting with himself, another sound attracted his attention – a human voice.

He turned in astonishment to see the other human brandishing a weapon at him. He realised that this was almost certainly the male that he'd smelled back at the shuttle, the one that had been with Lex. Here he was, issuing a challenge to him!

Pure, burning rage flooded him, cleansing and driving away all the nasty, messy impulses of an instant before. _"Does this little creature dare to threaten me?"_ He snarled at her _"I will show you how I deal with those unwise enough to trespass on my territory!"_

Without waiting for her answer he launched himself at the challenger, intent on ripping him into bloody red tatters.

The human had a gun but Scar didn't waste time pulling his own firearm. His opponent's stance was weak and his hand was shaking. He twisted to one side effortlessly dodging the shot. Taking the gun out of the human's hands was easy, he slapped it aside and aimed a punch at the man's head but the human was faster than he'd expected. He slipped backwards out of Scar's reach and dodged behind the tree, putting it between them.

" _This coward is what you think to replace me with?!"_ He roared furiously.

"Stop it!" Lex yelled at him "Don't be so fucking stupid – he's just trying to protect me!" The rational part of his brain recognised the strained tone of voice, but jealousy gripped too hard for him to be able to stop himself.

 _"Protect you?! This feeble thing?"_ Scar shot back, finally catching up with the human and swinging his fist into the male's jaw. It caught him a glancing blow – luckily for the human rage had made him less co-ordinated – but it was still enough to knock him to the ground _"You expect me to believe that?"_ He bellowed.

"Will you just cut out this macho bullshit and forget about him?" Lex shrieked at him, sinking to her knees "I need you to help me, now!"

" _Do not play stupid with me!"_ Scar bellowed back at her, pinning the wriggling human against a tree with one hand around its scrawny throat _"You forget; I know your lascivious nature, promiscuous, disloyal female! I will not tolerate it – do you hear me?!"_ So saying, he unsheathed his blades and drew back a fist to deliver the killing blow as the human in his grasp struggled for breath, satisfyingly helpless.

He stopped in his tracks and half turned as she let out a wordless cry " _Does the life of this pathetic specimen mean so much to her that she would really be distressed by his death? All the more reason!"_ He thought brutally, turning back to the business in hand.

" _I am in labour, you moron!"_ She screamed at him in his own language _"Right now! Put him down!"_

Scar's eyes widened and he twisted round. She was giving birth? Now?!

His rage sputtered and died and he let the other human drop in a heap at the foot of the tree. He went at once to where she was kneeling, past Vassir and Rika, who were standing watching in astonishment. As he approached he could see that she was shaking. Her head flicked round to look at him. Through the veil of dark, rain-soaked hair, he could see her face was drawn with pain.

" _Let me help you,"_ He started towards her _"It is not safe for you to be here."_

" _Keep… your distance,"_ She whispered through clenched teeth, in between gulps of air, one hand outstretched against him "Don't touch me… you… crazy bastard… I'm warning you…" The last two words came out as a strained hiss as another contraction twisted her face in pain.

" _Do not be ridiculous!"_ He shook his head disbelievingly at the absurdity of the situation. Only days ago she'd been closer to him than anyone else had ever been in his life and now she was telling him not to touch her? She could forget that! Ignoring her protests, he picked her up. She was in too much pain to put up any serious resistance anyway. She didn't make a noise but her eyes creased up in agony. _"I am taking you back to the shuttle. It is not far from here."_ He told her.

Her eyes slammed open in panic "The shuttle?... No! _No!_ "

He looked down at her ghastly pale face with mounting anxiety. Her skin was feverish and hot but drenched in sweat and rainwater. In fact, now that the rain had finally stopped he realised that she was bleeding – bleeding quite heavily it seemed to him. The leaves underneath her were spattered and stained with blood and the fabric of her suit seemed to be soaked with the stuff. Everywhere he put his hands they came away sticky with red gore. Was this a normal part of the birthing process? He had absolutely no idea.

" _What is going on S'Kia."_ Vassir clicked behind him _"You are acting very…strangely."_

Scar froze, he'd forgotten all about Vassir and Rika watching. He couldn't be sure what they'd heard but if they'd heard even half of what he'd said then he had just given away everything. His jealous rage was certainly proof enough that his relations with her had gone far beyond any acceptable limits.

He looked at the other two hunters, Rika would be shocked but Scar thought he would probably side with him in the end – Vassir he was less sure of. Almost certainly he would tell Khurshad what he knew when he rejoined the rest of the squad – that ruled out taking Lex back to the captured shuttle. There was no telling what Khurshad might do once he knew the truth. He might have given his word that he would not harm her but Scar didn't feel it would be a good time to test his sincerity, the hatred between the two of them was so entrenched.

" _Do you want us to kill the other ooman?"_ Vassir said at his shoulder.

Lex stared at him in horror _"No!"_ She breathed.

Scar frowned under his mask. He would happily have torn the flimsy creature apart – honourable combat or not. In fact he could just as happily have shot the human in the back or slit his throat whilst he slept, but he couldn't afford to complicate matters by distressing her further. Time was against him and he still couldn't think of any workable plan.

" _He is nothing."_ He said finally to Vassir with a dismissive click _"Leave him. Go back and rejoin the others."_ He jerked his head peremptorily at the two of them.

" _Where are you going?"_ Rika asked.

" _I have some matters of my own to take care of."_

" _Khurshad will ask questions,"_ His friend said _"Where shall I say that you have gone?"_ He noticed Vassir was watching him speculatively; yes he'd have to assume Vassir had heard everything, but for now at least he could still assert his dominance here.

" _Tell him whatever you wish"_ He said dismissively _"Just go!"_

" _But Khurshad is not going to – "_ Rika began doubtfully _._

" _Not going to what?"_ Scar turned on both of them with a snarl _"Do you think I fear him? Do you think I could not kill him any time I please? To whom do you owe first allegiance Rika – him or me?"_ The other acquiesced, lowering his head. Vassir didn't look as cowed but he didn't look about to argue either.

" _Good."_ He said finally _"Get back to the squad. Do not let yourselves be seen. I will rejoin you later."_

As they melted away into the undergrowth, he struck out into the jungle. He had to find some sort of bolt-hole then he could think about what to do next. He'd seen a cliff face a short distance away, there might be caves there, somewhere that was defensible.

"Stop!" He heard the other human call after them "Wait! Where are you taking her?" He ignored it and stalked onwards, growling in frustration as the male human ran ahead and stood deliberately in his path, arms outstretched to bar the way. It was shivering and frightened but didn't move even when he snarled a warning. "You're her friend right?" It said in human language, its voice sounding high pitched and reedy in its terror "I want to help her!"

Scar snorted angrily and with one hand, grasped the human by the clothing at his throat and hurled him aside. Why was this stupid creature wasting his time like this?

To his immense surprise the human dragged itself upright and came doggedly after him. This time it grabbed his arm and he spun round with a threatening hiss, the movement making the woman in his arms wince in pain. "I know where there is someone who can help her!" It yelled in his face "She knows human medicine – how much do you know about that?"

That made him pause. " _This …. insect has a point."_ He thought _"Even if I could have taken her to the shuttle, the best I could do would be to try and make her comfortable and protect her should we come under attack…"_ Even with the medical supplies they had, neither he nor any of the squad would have the first clue about childbirth.

In fact, now he considered the matter properly, even if he took her back to the Void Cutter the medics there would very likely be no better. They spent their lives dealing with yautja males who'd been wounded in combat, not human females in the throes of labour. Females had their own medics for that. And the human germ had said he knew where there was a female medic, a human female…

Scar gazed down at the ashen face of the interloper where it stood, one hand still grasping his elbow. Its weird, pale eyes stared up at him, wide and blank. In his arms, Lex groaned. With the hand that was supporting her legs he felt a fresh surge of blood welling up through the material of her clothing. That decided him. For all he knew she was dying at this very moment.

He turned back to the human. "Wherrrre is she – yourrr medic?" He said, he knew his pronunciation of human words wasn't perfect but it was good enough for Lex to understand so he reasoned it must be good enough for this other one.

"You can talk!" Choked the human "Why didn't you – "

"You had betterrrrrr… not… be lying." As the man shook his head rapidly, Scar leaned down threateningly close, his voice dropping to an icy hiss "Take me… to herrrrr… **_now._** "


	18. Chapter 18

Myers led the alien back to the caves as quickly as he could. The creature didn't speak to him again, but it made noises from time to time which he supposed must be its own language because when Lex was able to she murmured answers either in English or in the same odd strangulated, snarling, clicking dialect. He strained to listen, trying to work out what they were talking about. Slowly he was beginning to understand that she must have been speaking to the alien rather than to him before when she'd been trying to stop the fight.

He stole a sideways glance at the towering creature. He couldn't understand why the thing seemed to be so angry with him when it was clearly intent on helping her. He now guessed that this alien was her ally, but couldn't imagine what circumstances could drive a person to choose such fearsome company. She'd said things had gone wrong and that she'd had to run away…he wondered from what.

As Lex's contractions began to get stronger and closer together it was obvious she was making a huge effort to stay quiet, conscious that she might attract unfriendly attention. Clearly she was in such a huge amount of pain and she wasn't always able to stop herself. Biting her lip she tried to hold the noise in.

Myers was massively relieved when they reached the cave. "Wait here!" He told the alien and went in ahead without waiting for an answer. He wanted to warn Hobbes. There was no telling what she might do if this nightmarish apparition materialised out of the jungle and he didn't want them to get into another fight. The monster seemed to have a hair-trigger temper and he was pretty sure the only reason it had stopped short of killing him in the first place was because Lex had pleaded for his life. He didn't think he'd care to try his luck again.

Hobbes was sitting on the ground a little way into the cave. She looked up and grinned when she saw him come in, her smile faltered when she saw his beaten up state. His jaw was swollen where the alien had punched him and his face was bloody "What happened?" She said anxiously "Where's Lex?"

"It's OK, Hobbes." He spread out his hands "Just chill out, I'm fine. Lex is in labour."

"Oh my God!" She straightened up, "You didn't just leave her out there alone?"

"No! Of course not! She's just outside." He said "But there's something else, you need to try and stay calm."

As he spoke he saw her blanch as white as a ghost and her eyes widen as they went past him to something behind his back. She groped behind her for the gun. He twisted his head quickly. The alien had entered the cave and stood there in the tunnel blocking out the light, still holding Lex like a broken marionette in its talons.

"Put the gun down!" He yelped at Hobbes as he saw the barrel come up, pointing at the intruder "He saved us in the jungle when we were attacked. I told him to bring her to you."

Hobbs looked from him to the creature doubtfully, the gun wavering but not quite pointing away from the monster's chest. "I said put the gun down, private!" Myers said, switching tactics, desperate to stop her before the alien became aggressive again.

Hobbes' military discipline seemed to overcome her panic and she put the plasma cannon down, swallowing and licking her lips nervously, eyes still fixed on the creature. The thing took a few steps towards her, making her shrink back instinctively.

When it spoke both of the humans jumped in surprise "You …arrrre a medic?" it rumbled, the human words seeming incongruous issuing from this frighteningly inhuman figure. Hobbes was so surprised that for a moment she just stared at him dumbly "Wh… what?"

The creature leaned closer "Arrre yoooou… the medic?" It said, obviously trying to alter the order and its pronunciation of the words, perhaps thinking she had not understood because it had not spoken them correctly.

"Yes!" She said, finally managing to force her brain into some sort of working order.

"Good." It said and strode past her to lay the woman down on the pile of blankets and bedding in the corner.

As the creature put her down, she groaned and her eyelids flickered open. Her lips moved and she made that strange noise again, speaking the alien's harsh, grating language. She held out one hand as if to detain him but couldn't quite reach as he straightened up and turned to leave. "You ... out!" He snarled at Myers, indicating the way with a jerk of its chin.

When he didn't immediately obey it grabbed a handful of his jacket. Ignoring all protests it dragged him implacably outside. At the mouth of the cave it paused and looked back at Hobbes, the struggling man still hanging from one fist "If she… dies," It snarled "So shall you."

The medic stared after them in astonishment for a few moments, but at a hiss of pained breath from Lex she quickly recovered herself. Wiping sweat out of her eyes, she knelt down next to the other woman, taking hold of her hand. Dark pupils focussed on her, dilated in panic, rimmed with tears.

"Been timing the contractions?" Lex nodded "About a minute each… two minutes apart." She said.

"Not long then!"

Outside the cave, the hunter flung Myers to the floor head first into a drift of leaves.

"Hey!" He struggled to his feet, anger wiping out fear for a moment "What the fuck is your problem?!"

The alien didn't answer, just stood there for a moment as if lost in thought. "Hobbes needs my help, she's injured!" He yelled, but the creature seemed oblivious. It didn't get out of his way.

He made as if to go around it but suddenly, its demeanour changed, it was all alertness. Then it reached up and pulled off its mask.

Myers stared in horror. He couldn't see clearly in the eerie half light but he could dimly make out a nightmarish maw of razor teeth framed by two sets of tusked mandibles. Above that a pair of satanic, yellow eyes.

He gulped and cringed back involuntarily, a moment ago he'd been frustrated that the thing wouldn't listen but now he was relieved that it seemed not to even notice him.

The hunter lifted its head and twitched its jaws as if sniffing the air, then it stiffened. He shuddered as the glowing eyes flickered over him. It pushed the mask back into position, covering its dreadful face. Then it leapt.

The human said something else but Scar wasn't listening. He was debating with himself whether to back into the cave. The code of behaviour drummed into him his whole life told him it was grossly indecent for him to be present during the birthing process. That it was female business and he had absolutely no part in it. On the other hand Lex had called him back, so she obviously needed him. She was probably going to die.

" _It is my fault,"_ He thought _"She could never hope to carry my offspring and live. What does it matter if I am a deviant? I want to see her before she dies. I will do whatever I choose and not be ruled by stupid codes of behaviour! "_

Forgetting all about the male human and about rules of conduct he turned – then he heard a noise.

Difficult to describe to a non-hunter how one little sound can mean the whole atmosphere of the forest suddenly is changed. When your whole being is attuned to it, the difference between a rustle caused by the wind in the trees and a rustle caused by the prey – or the predator – in the undergrowth is glaringly obvious, a wrong note in a perfect symphony.

Scar froze as he realised the sound had come from above them. Then he reached up and quickly unfastened his mask, trying not to make any noise himself.

A scent came to him sharp and strong, almost making the growl rise up in his throat. There was a Bad Blood nearby. His head turned in the direction it was coming from and he eased the mask carefully back into place on his face, trying not to make any sudden moves.

Now the mask was on he switched to thermal imaging and suddenly he could see the enemy hunter, making its stealthy way along the ridge above them. It was alone – a scout – and had plainly not seen them. His only hope was to intercept it before it had a chance to report their position to its fellows. Pushing the human male backwards, he hoped out of sight, he activated the cloaking device with the switch on his arm and sprang at the cliff face above the cave. The need for silence meant he couldn't use his wrist blades so he was reduced to finding handholds on the rock. As he climbed he prayed silently that the stupid human would have the sense to go back into the cavern where it would at least be hidden from sight.

He was almost at the top when a yell echoed up to him from inside the cave – a female, human voice, not Lex. The Bad Blood was immediately alerted and came to the cliff edge. Its head scanned from side to side, gaze sweeping the ground, but it was oblivious to the enemy clinging to the rocks just a few feet away. Scar risked a downward glance, the human was nowhere to be seen. He only hoped it had realised what was happening and gone back inside out of the way. From this angle the heat signature tracks were not visible. Then another cry split the night sky. This time it was Lex, but her voice was horribly changed – a long drawn out wail of pain.

Scar hung there for a moment, pulled in two directions, between his resolve of a moment before, to see her before she died, and the need to destroy this enemy before it could destroy her. As the Bad Blood crouched and was about to begin the climb down the cliff instinct overtook him. He silently drew a throwing disc and hurled it upwards. Maybe the leech felt the movement in the air or maybe some sixth sense warned it of the danger, but it swayed backwards at the last moment. The blade struck it, but only catching it a slicing blow across the shoulder, in a shower of greenish pulp. As it reeled backwards he cleared the last few feet, scaling up the cliff with the speed of a _kainde amedha_ , and went for the throat.

Myers bit back a yelp of astonishment as the alien sprang at him "It's gone crazy," He thought "It wants to finish what it started earlier." His hand went to his holster but before he could draw his firearm, the thing shoved him hard in the chest – causing him to stagger backwards into the mouth of the cave. It went past him and disappeared from view as it bounded upwards onto the cliff face, swarming rapidly up the sheer rock. Then it was lost from sight. He strained his eyes trying to see where it had gone, but the night sky above them was empty.

He was about to move forward to try and get a better view of what it had seen when a cry from Hobbes stopped him in his tracks "Myers!"

Without another thought he turned and hurried back into the cave, picking his way amongst the jagged rocks at the entrance to where Hobbes was struggling to hold Lex's shoulders up.

"Myers!" She hissed under her breath

She was ineffectually trying to pull Lex up into sitting position. He saw that he'd been right, her own injuries had weakened her considerably and she couldn't lift her properly. He tried not to look too closely at the mess of blood and crouched down by her head, supporting her shoulders.

Hobbes turned a worried face to him "She's bleeding more than I'd like," She said quietly, trying not to let Lex hear her "And she's not progressing as quickly as I'd like either. The baby's just too damn big…."

Against his chest he felt Lex stir, body arching off the floor, trembling with effort and contorted with another contraction. When it finally passed she looked up at him with unfocussed eyes, face glistening with sweat, "Where's Scar?" She said, voice slurry.

"Scar?" He looked up at Hobbes, baffled "What scar?"

"I think she means…. _that creature_." Hobbes whispered.

 **"Just get him!"** Lex gripped his arm tightly, her eyes looked crazed.

"I think she's delirious." Hobbes raised her eyebrows, speaking in an undertone "But go get him, if it helps her to be calm."

"He's gone." He shrugged helplessly.

"Gone where?!" She hissed.

"I don't know! He just took off!"

"Oh hell!" Hobbes looked dismayed "Myers, we need him! What're we going to do if those other ones come back?"

"Scar's gone?" Lex moaned, overhearing "Oooooh nooo, that fucking bastard! He can't be– "

Hobbes grimaced to herself "You don't need to worry about him now," She said with forced cheerfulness "Just concentrate on pushing!"

Lex had never felt a pain like it. Broken bones and acid burns were nothing to this. Her whole abdomen felt ready to split apart. Every time a new contraction started her vision went red for a few seconds and she felt lost to everything else except the agony. She tried to keep herself from crying out, knowing that at any moment enemies could overhear her. Sometimes she was so delirious with pain she didn't even realise she _was_ making a noise.

She was also terrified. Iverssons words in that laboratory kept coming back to her _"…it'll almost certainly have chronic illnesses, deformities…"_ What if it came out unable to breathe on its own? Or had some other problem? Hobbes didn't even have the medical supplies to provide basic pain relief, how would they cope if the baby was seriously ill?

Was she going to have to watch it die?

She screwed her eyes shut, trembling all over with the effort of keeping from screaming at the top of her voice. Hobbes was speaking to her but she found it hard to focus on the words.

She was too tired even to shake now, her eyes seemed vacant and her breathing was rapid and shallow. "How's she doing?" Myers asked. Hobbes frowned as she straightened up and shifted position.

"I don't know Myers!" She shook her head "Something's weird, it's covered in some sort of membrane. It's so thick I can't even work out which bit of the baby is presenting!"

She rolled her eyes at his startled expression "Forget it ok, let's just hope it's not its back!" She said, wincing at the pain of her wounded thigh.

Suddenly Lex's spine curved upwards in an uncontrollable spasm, her whole frame straining as she gave one final desperate exertion. Something bloody and huge tore free of her, slithering onto the blankets underneath and she collapsed panting, eyes rolling up in her head with exhaustion.

A gasp from Hobbes made him look round, she was still staring down at the gorey, wriggling thing in front of her, her mouth moving soundlessly. He looked at her questioningly but she didn't even notice.

"Is it… is it alive?" Lex's voice was almost a sigh, her eyes still unseeing as she lay panting against Myers' arms.

His own eyes were drawn inexorably to the squirming shape that lay on the blood-stained fabric of the blanket. Even in the glare of the torch it was hard to distinguish much about it. It seemed to be covered in a sheath of stringy, purplish tissue.

"It's moving, it's alive" The medic said slowly, glancing up at him and seeing his astonished eyes "It's ok – it's just some kind of… birth sac…. I think – " But her voice sounded uncertain. She reached down and picked up the slimey mass, carefully pulling at the fibrous covering. It came away easily, sloughing off in sticky, gorey strands. As she pulled the living shroud away Hobbes's expression changed from one of concern to one of stunned shock.

"Is it alright?" Lex seemed more alert now, her tone more urgent.

The medic looked up and met Lex's black gaze, her face gaunt with horror "God Almighty!" She whispered "What have you done?!"

Lex seemed to come round at that. Her face momentarily registered astonishment and hurt, then her eyes hardened with fury "Just give it to me and get out!" She said, anger hissing off her words like drops of water falling on molten steel. Rage had given her access to some untapped reserve of strength and she made as if to get up.

"Woah, let's all just chill out here!" Myers held Lex's arms to try and keep her still, whilst shooting a bewildered glance at Hobbes. She was still staring down at the baby. In the dim light he couldn't see it properly or work out what was causing her to behave so strangely. Hobbes said nothing but stared at the thing in her arms, too appalled to speak.

As Lex heaved herself up into sitting position to face the medic. Myers tried to calm her with a steadying hand on her shoulder, whilst at the same time surreptitiously straining his eyes to try and get a better look at the wriggling thing. In the dim light of the cave he could only see a struggling shape – shiny with crimson mucus. Its limbs looked normal, maybe it was a little larger than he'd have expected. Lex shrugged him off and stretched out her arms insistently "Give it to me!"

Shaking her head slowly the medic handed her the slimy bundle. Lex all but snatched it from her, her protective arms still screening it from Myers' view. As she pulled it closer her scowl softened to a look of almost unbearable tenderness. Then she tore her eyes away, turning a blazing glare back on the two of them "Didn't you hear me?" She said, in a venomous undertone "Get out!"

This was just too much for Myers. He took Hobbes's rigid arm and began to drag her bodily out of the cave, supporting her injured side. "Come on," he muttered "I need some air!"

As they stumbled out into the murk that passed for dawn on this planet he pulled her round to face him. Her face was bone-white.

"What the hell's wrong with you?!" He said, trying to keep his voice down.

"Jesus, Myers!" She said, shaking her head slowly. She was still clutching a bloodied piece of cloth, twisting it unconsciously between her hands. The terrible shock in her face was was beginning to spook him.

"What is it?" He asked in bemusement "What's wrong with it?"

"I'm starting to understand what's been going on." She said slowly "I think we're in more shit here than you can possibly imagine!"

Scar pulled himself over the lip of the cliff as the Bad Blood staggered and threw himself at it, the cold, strategising part of his brain noting that it was considerably bigger than the other leeches he'd seen. The wind was howling now on this exposed surface, sending stinging fragments of grit sleeting against his skin. As the giant fell back he unsheathed his dah'kte and lunged. It shifted its weight to one side as it fell back, obviously expecting an assault, and he missed – catching it on the arm.

He struggled to right himself as his own momentum carried him forward, the leech striking out as it sensed his proximity. It caught him a slicing blow across the chest with its blades, snarling as it saw his blood spatter onto the floor in a wide green arc. He swung round to get out of range but tell tale luminous droplets gave away his position. It charged after him, bellowing with rage and he sprang aside again. Drawing out his combi-spear he lunged, extending the blades as he did so and jabbing it into the creature's midriff. He skewered it through the side and the thing threw its head back with an enraged roar and swiped in his direction again. He evaded it with ease now that the bleeding from his arm had ceased and lunged again, this time using the weight of the spear shaft to sweep his enemy's legs out from under it.

As it collapsed he followed, smashing it across the face. It reached out for him blindly, somehow managing to get a grip on his arm. He tried to wrench free but it was stronger than him. He dropped the spear, which was too difficult to use at close range anyway, and began slashing with his blades as its hand groped along his arm. Too late the thought struck him that the Bad Blood must have guessed he was using one of their stolen cloaking devices and therefore, would know where the control on his device was located. Probably the unit was only a variant of their standard model, where the switch was placed on the upper arm – a design that his own clan had long since improved upon by placing it inside the concealed wrist-control panel.

Its questing fingers found what they were looking for and compressed the switch. As Scar became visible he jerked his head forward and butted his assailant in the face, the impact causing hairline cracks to appear in its visor. As its grip loosened momentarily he wrenched free and flung himself backwards out of reach. The two of them faced each other panting, appraising one another.

" _You should not have come here lizard."_ The Bad Blood snarled _"I am going to rip your spotted hide right off your skinny little body!"_

Scar made a noise that was half snort and half laugh _"This is what happened to the last of your kind who thought he would flay me!"_ He flourished his forearms, bound in the swathes of Bad Blood skin, giving his opponent a few moments to get a good look at them. It stared for a moment. Scar thought it was pretty obvious what they were.

" _What outrage is this?"_ It rasped finally _"What sort of freak are you? I will take great pleasure in giving you the beating you deserve … before I finally kill you_. _"_

Scar laughed softly, the noise sucked away in the howling of the gale "Talk is cheap'!" He said in English and put out one hand, beckoning "Come and get me."

The dim dawn had broken when Scar returned to the cave. He was battered and bloodied but most of the blood that covered him was not his own. He had only sustained superficial injuries. The leech's body he had rolled into the undergrowth for the local wildlife to eat. No sense in drawing more attention than was necessary. He'd thought about rejoining the squad but instead, he'd somehow found himself here – drawn back as irresistibly as a beast following a scent trail.

The place seemed deserted. Lex and the other humans were nowhere to be seen. On the floor outside was a piece of fabric, stiff with rust-coloured bloodstains. He picked it up and turned it over in his talons. She had lost so much blood…

An ominous chill ran up his back and he extended his wrist blades as he stepped into the cavern, every nerve in his body tingling. Where were the other humans? And where was Lex? Possessions, clothes and bedding had not been removed. They had not broken camp and relocated. Perhaps there had been more than just the one Bad Blood lurking around, maybe they'd been dragged off into the jungle and slaughtered. He could not imagine those puny humans putting up much of a fight and Lex would surely be in no condition to do so.

A noise deeper inside the cave attracted his attention. As he slunk forward, the masks thermal vision showed something moving in a darkened corner. Coming closer, his eyes widened as he realised what it was. On the floor of the cavern, wrapped tightly in blankets, was his baby. Deactivating his cloaking device, he switched his mask to normal setting so he could see it with his own eyes.

It was sleeping. He couldn't see its body, swathed as it was in the material but it was so strange, a mixture of himself and Lex. In colouring it was a paler shade of Lex's smooth, brown skin, speckled with spots of darker pigment at the jaw and temples like his own patterned markings.

The top half of the sleeping face was all him. It had his prominent, ridged brow-bone that sloped backwards and ended in a crest of small, black shoots of hair that covered the back of its head. The lower half was more like her. The broad ridges of the yautja brow-bone tapered into the short human snout combined with the horizontal mouth, framed by cushiony lips just like a miniature versions of hers. It mainly differed in that it had a broader jawbone. From what little he could judge its mouth looked larger and wider than most humans he'd seen, framed by two protruding tusks jutting out from the chin either side of the bottom lip.

For a second he was flooded with panic and a sudden impulse popped into his brain. _"I should kill it,"_ He thought deliriously _"As R'Zuul would want me to. I could snap its neck or dash its brains out on a rock. It is my physical link to her. Evidence of my shameful weakness – if I kill it I will be free forever!"_

It was only in his head for a split-second. As he gazed at this tiny creature, this thing that was part of himself, it wriggled a little in its sleep and he knew he couldn't do it.

Knew he would not _ever_ be able to do it.

Its mouth yawned open to reveal a bright pink interior – no teeth yet. Its scent seemed neither male nor female. He wondered what gender it was but he didn't quite know how to pick it up, uncharacteristically unsure of himself.

Without quite meaning to, he made a purring noise in his throat. Tiny eyelids flicked open to reveal bright, yellow eyes, the carbon copy of his own. Black, slitted pupils expanding for a moment before seeming to focus blearily on him. Looking at it he felt a strange sensation, like his heart and lungs had suddenly become too big for his chest to contain. Utterly entranced, he leaned forward and reached out one clawed hand towards it…. then stopped dead as he heard behind him the unmistakable whine of a plasma gun arming.

Slowly he straightened and turned, flipping his mask back to thermal imaging, ready to fight.

Standing in the mouth of the cave, dishevelled and panting, was Lex.

"Put up your weapons and get away from my baby," She said "Or I'll kill you."

Raising his hands in the air – he withdrew his blades back into their holsters. _"Lexssss, what are you doing?"_ He said incredulously _"Do you not recognise me?"_

"I know who you are, you crazy son-of-a-bitch!" Her voice was steady, her jaw was set as she faced him down "Now get the fuck away from my son!"

Lex kept the gun pointed at Scar's head as he stood up. She felt as if she'd been ripped apart. Her legs were shaky, her abdomen was a ball of knife points and she was still bleeding but necessity and her natural resilience meant she was recovering swiftly. She'd stepped outside for a moment to look for Myers and Hobbes, not wanting to disturb the baby now he was finally sleeping, and returned to find a scene like the most visceral of her nightmares spilled out into the daylight; Scar looming over the baby, weapons drawn. For a moment, just for a moment, she'd thought he was going to… but surely even he wouldn't do that, would he?

"I can't afford to take the chance," She thought grimly "I thought I knew what he was but I have underestimated his savagery before. Who knows what he might have done if I hadn't walked in!"

He stood totally still; she knew he was waiting to see what she'd do. Minutes slipped by.

" _Son…"_ He said eventually _"He is male then?"_

"Yes."

He digested this in silence for a moment, before saying _"Then… I can take him from you,"_ She didn't reply _"By clan law I can demand you give him to me."_

"Fuck the clan and fuck you."

" _Male children belong to the father."_ He went on implacably _"It is my right to take him if I wish. I can keep him where I see fit, name him as I see fit –"_

"He has a name already." She said coldly.

" _Oh yes? Some soft, human appellation I do not doubt!"_ His voice was a bitter snarl.

She blinked. In truth she'd thought of lots of names. She'd even thought of naming him after her father, but as soon as she'd set eyes on her baby she'd known none of those names would fit. They were too human. In the end, the name had kind of chosen itself, floating into her mind as she hovered on the edge of sleep. It was a name Scar had told her, a hunter name, but one that sounded just human enough.

"Selim." She said finally "His name is ... Selim."

" _Selim?"_ He said slowly _"Like my brother?"_

She nodded, unable to think what else to say. If she was honest with herself she had partly chosen it to please him, even though she hadn't been aware of that desire whilst making the choice she realised it now.

He didn't speak again. He just stood looking at her, keeping still in case she decided to pull the trigger. "Has he come back because he wants the baby? Or wants to kill it?" She fumed inwardly at him and at her own stupidity "Why can't I just pull the trigger and be rid of him? Why can't he just go away and leave me alone – what the hell does he want from me?"

The silence went on and on until she thought she might scream. A tremor was beginning to creep along the arm holding the gun.

" _Why did you betray me?"_ He asked finally, as if he couldn't possibly conceive of the answer.

" _Betray you?"_ She said, nonplussed.

" _You deserted me."_ She could hear the raw pain and anger struggling to break through the tight surface control _"Left without even telling me. Took my offspring –"_

"You went crazy!"She threw back at him "You skinned that other hunter, tortured him, put out his eyes! I had to get away from you!"

" _He was an enemy."_ He said quietly _"Has motherhood softened your brain? That filth tried to kill you."_

" _So you had to torture him?"_

" _Yes! It was necessary. I did it for you, to protect you!"_

She shook her head in angry denial.

" _He hurt you."_ He said it slowly and deliberately, as if explaining something to an imbecile _"He threatened to skin you!"_

" _Do not dare to say you did it for me! You did it because you are insane and I should have seen it before!"_

" _You think I am mad?"_

She nodded again.

" _But you did not care about what I did to H'Ritz."_ He said, puzzled _"I saw your face. You were… pleased."_

 _"But you did not kill H'Ritz. You let him live!"_

" _As a cripple!"_ He spat derisively _"You call that merciful? It will be a long time before he can walk or use his arms again – probably he never will! If he did not perish in the battle on the Void Cutter then with any luck he will take the honourable way out. Put himself out of everyone else's misery! It is a fitting end for such as him."_

She stared at him in horror, too shocked to speak. The thought had not occurred to her that he had let his victim live out of malice rather than mercy, that H'Ritz probably would not wish to carry on living if his injuries didn't heal.

He began to advance on her slowly. She kept the gun pointed at him but the way he moved didn't suggest fear. _"If I am mad it is because you have driven me to it,"_ He hissed _"If I had any honour left in me I would kill you and our offspring and myself, but even though I lack the resolve to do this you will not deny me! You are both coming with me. Do not think I will hesitate to use force."_

" _Try it!"_ She said, eyes suddenly glinting with anger _"You are just like Khurshad; just like the Bad Bloods! You say you killed that one because he hurt me. Now you are threatening me yourself!"_

" _How dare you say it is the same!"_

" _Why not!? You think it is different because you think I belong to you? You will discover that I am neither your slave nor your possession so do not think to persuade me with threats!"_

" _The gods know I have more than just cause to be angry with you!"_ He snarled _"You are as infuriating as any female that ever lived! And now I find you have taken up with that contemptible human specimen!?"_

"Not this again!?" She rolled her eyes in exasperation "I was heavily pregnant with _your_ child until just last night – "

" _That has never stopped you before."_ He said, coming nearer.

" _Stay back."_ She kept the gun as steady as she could, holding it up like a talisman against evil.

" _Pregnant or not,"_ He continued _"You have never said no to me..."_

She began to retreat, edging slowly backwards as he advanced on her _"That is far enough!"_ She spat.

" _You are still mine. Both you and Selim belong to me."_ His voice dropped to a purr as he came closer _"You know this, why do you not simply accept it?"_

"You're wrong." She couldn't retreat any further. Her back was now pressed against the cool stone wall behind her.

" _You are lying. You know I am right."_ He had stopped, standing only a couple of feet away now. She stayed quiet, her throat felt as if it were too dry to make a sound. His whole demeanour had changed. Before he'd been struggling to contain his anger, but now he suddenly seemed… wolfish, predatory. And he was right. In spite of everything that had happened; in spite of all the horror and fear and in spite of the fact she'd suffered a nightmarish childbirth without him, there was a part of her that wanted to give in.

The thought kept nagging her that without him, there was no one else who could help her.

He moved forward until the muzzle of the plasma cannon was pressing against his chest. She wiped sweat out of her eyes and looked up at him angrily "Don't flatter yourself I won't kill you!"

" _I can tell you desire me still,"_ He growled, looming over her _"Are you going to try and deny it?"_

"All I want is for you to stay away from me and my son."

" _Our son."_

"I don't want you near him." She said, her voice was as shaky as her hand.

" _Really? I can see the blood rushing to your face."_ He glanced down _"And your chest."_ His gaze travelled down further _"_ _ **I**_ _think - "_

"Shut up!" She yelled at him, jerking the gun away from his torso and holding the barrel under his chin, jabbing it upwards towards his throat. "Just shut up! Or I swear to God I'll blow your fucking brains out!"

" _Do it then!"_ Leaning down, he pressed his chin onto the muzzle of the plasma cannon. When she did not fire he spat _"I knew you could not!"_

"Why are you doing this?" She said miserably.

" _I do not fear death."_ He said bluntly _"I have made myself abhorrent to my clan, to my whole species, sometimes I even think to myself… because of you. If you really want me dead then just get it over with."_

Lex stared up at the blank metal surface of his mask. She was still holding the plasma-cannon to his throat but it was suddenly too heavy, her arm was trembling under the weight of it now. She could feel the warmth radiating off his skin a hairsbreadth away. How easy it would be to just do what he wanted, to let him take control. "No." She thought grimly "I know what he's capable of."

Suddenly she felt exhausted, the stress and exertion of the last few days catching up with her. It was as if all the strength had drained out of her. She could feel herself swaying.

" _I have something for you,"_ He held out her wrist-com _"You left it behind, but you may need it."_

She sighed, looking down at the gauntlet of polished metal in his talons but she made no move to take it. She knew it was symbolic of something for him or he would not have brought it, some sort of brand of ownership.

"Go back to the Cutter." She managed eventually "Leave us alone!"

 _"Why must you always fight me?"_

She sighed exhaustedly and shook her head. She could see he was starting to get angry again. When he was confronted with a physical threat he knew no fear, but in the face of something he could not control he didn't know what to do. He paced the floor as if distracted and then stepped right up to her again and gripped her arm _"No I cannot stand it, you must not do this."_

"What do you want _S'Kia_?"She screamed in his face "What in God's name do you want?"

" _YOU!"_ He roared back at her _"I want you to come back now. I want you back and I want my son – you are mine! I order you!"_

" _No!"_ She yelled _"You do not order me!"_

" _Pleasssse,"_ He hissed _"I beg you."_

Lex stared at him. It was the first time she'd ever heard him plead for anything. His claws bit into her flesh as they tightened on her arm and she could tell he was struggling to hold himself back. He seemed about to say something else, but stopped and turned as the other two humans stumbled into the cave behind him and froze in terror.

Myers and Hobbes had gone out in search of the alien. It seemed like the logical course of action. Myers couldn't quite bring himself to believe that Hobbes was right – that one of those monstrous things could possibly be the father of Lex's child – but it seemed like the only explanation for the baby's bizarre appearance.

Eventually they'd given up. Hobbes's leg was giving her pain and they were worried about what would happen if they ran into more aliens. Now he stood in the cave mouth, uncertain what to do.

Lex was holding her gun to the creature's throat. Both of them were breathing heavily as if in the throes of some sort of violent argument. The hunters head whipped round to look at them. It was menacingly close to her and was twisting her upper arm in its taloned grip. His first instinct was that she was in danger but …she had it point blank and she hadn't fired. There was a definite sense that they were interrupting.

The alien looked at him for a few seconds then back at Lex. As it looked away from her distracted, her face composed itself into that same cold facade he'd seen before. Her gaze shifted back to the alien as she snatched her arm from his grasp.

"Lex?" Myers said cautiously, hand hovering over his own plasma gun "Are you alright?"

She ignored him, but the creature's reaction was instantaneous. He tore himself away from the woman. Both of them scrambled to get out of his way, but not quick enough. He knocked them both aside and disappeared into the dimly lit jungle.

Stunned, both of them turned back to look at Lex where she still stood, leaning weakly against the rock wall. After a second she seemed to wake up, went quickly over to where the baby was lying and snatched him up. He made a purling, whining noise of protest as she stared fixedly the way the alien had gone.

"Are you ok?" Myers asked tentatively.

"Yes." She let out a long breath, pulling herself upright.

"What the hell – " Hobbes began to pull herself dazedly to her feet.

"He came back to see his baby." Lex told her bleakly.

Hours later, Lex sat quietly on the floor of the cave, holding Selim on her lap, thinking. She'd recently fed him – a tiring experience and she hadn't been able to achieve it without a certain amount of pain – but at least he was quiet and sleepy now and in a strange way it had calmed her.

The encounter with Scar had disturbed and distressed her. It had been a shock when she saw him standing over the baby. It had also shocked her that he had said those things. Wherever he was, she knew he would be hating himself for saying them. She felt almost ashamed for making him do it. She'd always suspected his main attraction to her was physical, or simply possessive; born of a need to control and dominate her. Now she wondered if perhaps she'd misjudged him.

"I'm being stupid," She told herself determinedly "I must not let myself get confused."

She ran her finger along the line of Selim's jaw. Asleep, without the incongruous yellow of his eyes, he almost looked human. At her feathery touch his mouth pouted slightly but he didn't wake up. This little movement roused in her an overwhelming wave of love and protectiveness – coupled with a feeling of relief so strong she was ashamed to acknowledge it. All the way through her pregnancy, her gnawing fear had been that he would seem alien and repugnant to her. Now she found that she loved him so intensely it frightened her. Even the inhuman aspects of his appearance did nothing to change that.

"I can't let myself be fooled." She thought, her face twisting into an unhappy frown "Scar doesn't have feelings like that. It's just blackmail – pure and simple. To make me do what he wants."

But she didn't really believe it. Scar was intelligent in certain specialised ways, but he wasn't capable of that kind of emotional manipulation. He could never lie about something like that. Ordinarily she knew he would have died rather than exhibit weakness in front of her.

She sighed "I don't have time for all this," She said quietly to herself "We haven't got time! I have to figure out a way of getting us off this planet."

At the sound off her voice, Selim stirred. He yawned and moaned as he woke up. She picked him up and jiggled him against her shoulder absently, trying to soothe him while she thought.

She discounted the idea of stealing a Bad Blood shuttle as far too risky. For a start she'd never get into their camp with Hobbes, Myers and the baby undetected. She felt a certain responsibility to the other two humans after they'd helped her, but she knew she'd have left them behind without a second's hesitation if it that's what she had to do to keep Selim safe. The main reason was that even if she ditched them and managed to get herself and Selim on board without being detected, if she couldn't pilot it what then? And the Umbra was a burned out wreck…..

As she gazed around the cave her eye lit on something that glinted even in the half light. The wrist-com. Scar had left it here. She hadn't noticed him drop it at the time. Maybe he'd left it on purpose.

Whatever the truth was, the sight of it concentrated her mind. Earlier she'd been exhausted and confused. Now, in the cold light of day, she could see there was only one course left open to her if she really wanted off this planet.

"Much as I hate to admit it, your father is our best chance." She thought, still gazing into his cat-like eyes "He must have a shuttle. Even if he is crazy, if he really feels the way he says he does he will get us out of here."

She reached out and picked up the wrist com. "And look," She said, holding it in front of her son's face and moving it this way and that so that it reflected the light – causing Selim to gurgle and reach out a tiny, clawed hand for it "He's given us a way to find him. Isn't that lucky?"

"Look, I know it sounds dangerous," Lex shifted Selim's weight in her arms as she angrily faced Myers and Hobbes "But do you have any other bright ideas?"

"You told me you were running away from him!" Myers was incredulous.

"Maybe I thought better of it." She said.

"Jesus Lex! When we came back here this morning, you looked fucking terrified!" Hobbes threw her hands up in frustration "You can't now be suggesting we throw ourselves on his mercy?"

"I was confused then, I'm not now. I can handle him." Lex insisted.

"Handle him?!" Myers spluttered "Last night he was about to kill me – and this morning he looked about to kill you!"

"Only because he thought - " Lex broke off and shook her head "Look it's… complicated. He was angry, but I think he would help if I asked."

Hobbes looked at her as if she were mad "Just listen to yourself. You told us his species hunt humans for sport – hunt us! They're monsters!"

"It's not that simple – didn't you listen to me?" Lex sighed in exasperation and covered her eyes with one hand. She was sitting on a rock opposite them, still tired and weakened by labour "Don't you see it's the lesser of two evils? The Rough Skulls are not exactly friendly but the Bad Bloods will kill us on sight. We're just a minor annoyance in their plans to wipe out their enemies. Whatever else Scar is, he's still Selim's father. That means something to him, I know it does. He said he wanted to take us both off this planet. I don't think he'd leave his son to be butchered. "

Myers regarded her sceptically, whilst Hobbes gave a disbelieving little laugh "And if – for some unimaginable reason – this murderous alien doesn't give you what you want, what are you going to do?" She snorted "Steal his keys and boost his spaceship?"

"And what do you suggest as an alternative?" Lex inquired icily "There is no other way off this planet. My shuttle is a wreck. So, unless you feel up to the task of stealing and piloting a Bad Blood ship, that only leaves us two choices: Plan A: I go and ask Scar for help. Plan B: We stay here and hope to God we don't get caught and killed or that one side or the other doesn't decide to nuke the place." She ticked off options on her fingers "Any thoughts?"

When they both still didn't look convinced she shrugged and got to her feet "Look at it this way Hobbes, what have we got to lose?" She hefted the grizzling baby up to one shoulder "If Plan A doesn't work, you're more than welcome to go back to Plan B. That's what you were doing before you met me anyway!"

In her arms Selim struggled and made a loud and decidedly inhuman clicking noise in his throat. The other two humans looked at him uneasily as she tried to quieten him down. He trilled discontentedly, disturbed by the raised voices.

"Are you sure it's such a good idea for you to, you know …keep him?" Hobbes asked finally. Myers looked at her sharply.

Lex caught the look. She could tell Hobbes was only voicing aloud what both of them were thinking, perhaps something they'd discussed between themselves "And what do you suggest I do? Turn him loose? Leave him to die in the jungle?" She spat furiously "How can you say that when you've got children of your own?" Hobbes looked away.

"And I suppose you agree with her?" She rounded on Myers, her tone so full of outrage he gulped "I don't… I mean he's so small now" He stuttered "But … he won't always be a baby. What are you going to do when he starts getting bigger?"

"What do you even know about looking after a…whatever he is?" Hobbes said doggedly "Wouldn't he be better off with his own kind?"

"His own kind? There's no such thing." She said slowly, and deliberately "Don't you understand? He's a hybrid, neither one thing nor the other. Humans would want to imprison him or dissect him, and the other hunters would be just as likely to kill him if they got their hands on him!"

"But you say his father wants him –" Myers began.

"He's mine." Lex hissed, gripping Selim so tightly that he whimpered "Mine! No-one – not you or Scar or the government or the Bad Bloods or anyone else – can take him from me. If you _soldiers_ want to stay here and wait to get wiped out, that's up to you."

"You can't go on your own!" Myers spluttered "You only had your baby last night!"

"I'm fit enough to get there, I was managing to survive here on my own before I met you!" Two spots of angry colour flared on Lex's face, "I've made my mind up. You can either come with me or stay here and wait for whatever comes your way. It's your choice."

With that she turned and strode past them to where she'd left her cloaking device.

On his way back to the shuttle, Scar had plenty of time to reflect on his failure to persuade Lex to come back. He'd also failed to reclaim possession of his offspring. That rankled. More than that, it hurt. _"I am sure my father would never have put up with this from anyone, least of all a human female. He would probably have killed her and just taken Selim."_ He thought miserably _"But then my father would assuredly not have coupled with a human anyway. He was not a weak sexual deviant, as it seems I am …"_

He'd thought the pain of her leaving had been bad but this was like acid poured into an open, festering wound. He was almost blind, almost deaf in his misery. His brain wouldn't function. He wished he could hurt something, kill something. Luckily for him the cloaking device concealed him or he'd have been an easy target.

Seeing Selim – his son – for the first time had had a profound effect upon him. He would never have expected it to. That morning had been one of the most exhilarating moments of his short life to know that he had managed to reproduce, to see Selim's resemblance to himself. It had been followed almost immediately by one of the most awful.

Before he'd met Lex, he'd always thought he would easily and naturally be able to bend any female to his will but now he realised that she was much more adept at this kind of warfare than he would ever be. She'd seemed very definite that she didn't want him around and for some reason he felt unable to just make her co-operate. All the time they'd been talking he'd felt a powerful urge to attack her or just seize her and take her back by force, but even though she was no longer pregnant and it was no longer forbidden to harm her something had prevented him. If he did so she would despise him even more, he knew it. He could almost hear her angry voice in his head now _"Violence, that is your answer to everything - is it not S'Kia? Because you are too stupid to think of a better solution!"_

The realisation that he couldn't persuade her to do what he wanted had battered his usually impervious self confidence. He'd thought that she would always come round, but this time it seemed she would not _"But she named our offspring after my brother."_ He thought for the thousandth time _"Why, if not to please me?"_

Khurshad was trying to contact him again, he flipped the control on the wrist-com to accept the communiqué.

" _S'Kia – you insubordinate scum! Where are you?"_ The squad leader's voice was so loud the transmission hissed and crackled with distortion.

" _On my way back."_ He said.

" _What in the name of the Blood God have you been doing? Vassir said you ran off after some enemy – going totally against my orders!"_

Scar let the question hang in the air. He certainly had no intention of discussing any of that past few hours events with Khurshad – not now, not ever. As the silence stretched on, Scar's nerves began to twang in a way that had nothing to do with the conversation. As he reached the top of an incline, some sixth sense warned him to expect trouble. His demeanour became stealthy and his whole body became taut as a bowstring. He edged forward, pushing aside a clump of ferns, dripping with condensation, with one careful hand.

" _Did you hear me, lunatic?!"_ Khurshad's voice bellowed in his ear _"I want your explanation for why you disobeyed me! Why you have been missing all night and why you and those two idiots failed to locate the Bad Blood's base of operations!"_

"S _quad leader,"_ He said, gazing out over the roiling panorama of activity beneath him _"I think you can call off the search…"_

It took Lex longer than she'd hoped to find the Rough Skull's camp. Carrying both Selim and the cloaking device was no joke, the device was heavy. She'd strapped Selim against her chest looking up into her face, wrapped in the jaguar skin. He was heavy too. He slept deeply most of the way but whimpered fretfully from time to time. She tried to keep him quiet, in case he attracted unwelcome attention. Walking long distances was a strain. Her body was still recovering – she was amazed at how quickly – but there was still a way to go before she was back in peak condition. Grinding pains still shot through her abdomen from time to time and she occasionally broke out in a cold sweat. She forced herself to forget about how tired she was and concentrate on walking. She was strong, she could deal with anything – her time with the hunters had made her believe that.

Luckily Myers and Hobbes were not much faster. Hobbes was still having problems walking and Myers was having to spend most of his time helping her. She reasoned that even if they got jumped, she had her cloaking device – if worst came to worst she and Selim could escape.

The soldiers' inability to disappear was still going to be a handicap though. When they reached their destination she was going to have to tell them to wait whilst she went on ahead. Even once she got in, she knew Scar would not appreciate seeing them and the other hunters would be even less friendly. She thought she'd have more chance of persuading him to do what she wanted if she spoke to him alone.

She walked on ahead of the other humans. As the only one with a mask she also had to concentrate on keeping a lookout and anyway she didn't feel much like talking to either of them. She was angry with them both, especially Hobbes and her suggestion that she give up her baby. Hurtful as they might be, however, Hobbes's words had brought her to an epiphany. Her son would never, ever be accepted by other humans. She hadn't fully comprehended it until their conversation that morning. Their reactions had shocked and upset her – but their revulsion would surely be typical of most people. In her eyes her son was beautiful and perfect. Others would almost certainly not feel the same way.

She turned it over in her mind as she walked – occasionally glancing back at the other two. The more she considered it the more worried she became. "Even if Scar would give me a shuttle, where would I go? Not back to Earth if those two are anything to go by. But then where? What did I think I was going to do?" She wondered, knowing the question was pointless – she could supply the answer without much difficulty "I guess I just never thought I'd be dealing with it on my own." She thought bitterly.

She made her way back towards the place where she'd gone into labour, where they'd been attacked. Scar had said the shuttle was not far from there.

She engaged the tracker function on the wrist-com. It had taken her a long time to work out how to use it. In the early days on the ship she'd been too petrified to touch the controls in case she accidentally activated the gauntlet's self-destruct mechanism – not quite believing Scar's assurance that he had disabled it – but she was more confident now. His signal was nearby, along with several other Rough Skulls.

"Alright baby," She whispered "Let's go hunt down your Daddy."

Against her chest, Selim wriggled and purred as if in agreement.

There were two Rough Skulls on lookout duty when Scar returned to their shuttle. _"Rika, Sur'Karr."_ He spoke to them as through their helmet intercoms before he de-cloaked, to warn them of his approach. With the Bad Blood's superior device it was unlikely that he would be detected until he was right up close and he didn't want to risk getting his head blown off or a spear in the guts if they mistook him for an enemy. They put up their weapons as he made himself visible and he stalked past before they could speak to him.

Khurshad was seated at the controls of the stolen shuttle with Vassir. He looked round from the screen in surprise as Scar pulled himself on board _"S'Kia!"_ He said, his tone full of indignation.

Scar gave him a casual nod and strolled over to join them. Inside him all was chaos but outwardly his manner was the same as ever. He could not afford to reveal to Khurshad or the rest of the squad the extent of his misery. It would have shown him up as abhorrently weak. He didn't know how much Rika and Vassir had guessed from the fight with the human the previous day … or how much the latter had decided to reveal to Khurshad.

" _S'Kia! How dare you come wandering back in here as if you had not been missing half the night?!"_ Khurshad snarled.

" _I ran into an unexpected enemy."_ Scar said off-handedly. It was almost the truth anyway _"And I have managed to find the enemy base of ops. Something which apparently the rest of you were unable to accomplish."_ He reached past Khurshad to bring up the on screen display of the planets terrain.

The squad leader growled under his breath, internally debating whether to allow him to continue or smash his face in for his presumption. The blue schematic display materialised before their eyes, mapping out the valley where the Bad Blood camp was situated. Scar reached out and tapped the controls with a talon, pin-pointing a hollow in the valley floor where the ground was flat and sandy.

" _Here is where they have stationed their shuttles."_ He said, turning to the others _"There are roughly ten of them there, and I would guess all are kitted out with the stealth generators, just like this one is."_ He patted the console of the enemy shuttle.

" _How many Bad Bloods did you see?"_ Khurshad asked testily.

Scar did a quick mental calculation _"About fifty, there may be more."_

" _That is a lot of enemies."_ Vassir rumbled thoughtfully and then was cut off by a blow to the head from his captain. _"Silence you coward!"_ Khurshad spat _"We are the superior warriors. We will defeat them!"_

Scar regarded him with grim amusement. It was obvious that it was him Khurshad would really have liked to hit, but he also suspected that the squad leader was uncertain how he would react and welcomed the excuse to take it out on a more easily-dominated personality. He noted contemptuously that the older male never actually followed through on any of his continuous threats of violence towards him _. "Lucky for him!"_ He thought.

If Scar had only known it, Khurshad was profoundly disturbed by any suggestion of deviation from the socially designated norm. The younger male's abnormal relationship with the pregnant ooman made his flesh crawl, so much so that he was almost afraid of him. If he was prepared to get that close to a subspecies, who knew what other depths he might sink to. And perhaps his perversion was catching!

Scar could not know all this of course, but he had his suspicions. He was continually astonished that a male like Khurshad had ever managed to rise through the ranks to become a senior member of the council, given his stupidity and the fact that he was almost pathologically incapable of self-control. _"He must have been a truly great warrior in his day,"_ He thought contemptuously _"Because I can imagine no other explanation!"_

" _We need not mount a full frontal assault."_ He said softly _"Our main objective is to destroy their stealth technology, starting with their shuttles. We have plenty of explosives – we can use their own weapons against them, steal past their defences and destroy their ships and their cloaking devices and then lay waste to their camp."_

There were grunts of approval at this. Scar felt some small gratification. He could not make the human female obey him, but he could do this.

" _Why do we not simply use the shuttle to blast their ships from the air?"_ Rathik suggested.

" _Too high a risk of failure,"_ Scar shook his head _"They would soon realise they were under attack and then they would take us out."_

Khurshad nodded grudgingly _"If what S'Kia says about their numbers is right, there are too many crafts for us to be sure of destroying them all before we are detected and besides, we could not then be also sure of destroying all their devices into the bargain. That has to be our aim."_

Rathik and Vassir nodded thoughtfully. Scar said nothing but he wondered if they had come to the same realisation as him – that once their presence inside the Bad Blood camp was detected they would be unlikely to get out alive. He was beginning to get an inkling of why Nar'Jat had chosen him for this particular mission.

" _He considers us expendable"_ He thought cynically _"This, I suppose, is my 'reward' for saving the ship. Why did I drag Lex back here? A life in exile would be preferable to their gratitude!"_ Suddenly he felt a strong desire to get out of their presence. He wanted to think without interruption.

" _U'darahje!"_ Khurshad called after him as he turned to leave _"Fetch Sur'Karr and Rika, they will need to be briefed on our plans. We attack tonight!"_

He stalked ill-temperedly out of the cockpit. The shuttle was stationed on top of a high ridge overlooking another valley. A high place, easily defensible, easily patrolled, concealed by greenery and the shuttles technology. Instead of going to get the other two squad members he wandered to the lip of the ravine and stood looking out over the jungle. Night was not far away, the dull heat of the afternoon was still present – but he could feel the telltale coolness creeping into the air. He breathed in deeply, trying to think.

" _This is suicide."_ He told himself _"If we go into that camp, we will all die – in fact optimum realisation of our aims would only be achieved by detonating our self-destruct devices. And I gave my word to R'Zuul, with his dying breath he asked me to destroy the leeches and I vowed that I would crush them."_ He had no doubt of his being able to annihilate them utterly, but he knew he could probably not do so without sacrificing his own life in the process. He knew that he should rejoice at this chance to die gloriously in battle but somehow he did't feel that way at all _"It would be a fitting death for a Rough Skull but… do I really want to do this?"_ He scratched at his wrists, dismayed at the huge surge of doubt that flooded in _. "I never used to feel uncertain."_ He thought _"This morning, when I saw my son for the first time, I felt… strange."_

An odd idea struck him _"I wonder if my father ever wanted to see me – or my brothers. I wonder if he ever gave any thought to any of his many children."_ He thought it unlikely. From what little he knew of his father, he had never given much consideration to the welfare of his individual offspring, trusting instead the sheer weight of numbers would ensure that at least some would survive. Wasn't that the best way? As he'd said to Lex all that time ago – the weak are weeded out and the strong survive. His father would probably have thought him pathetic or insane for being so concerned over the fate of one single offshoot, and a blasphemous half-breed offshoot at that!

Even telling himself this, however, did nothing to dispel the black cloud hanging over his head. Such thoughts made him a coward he knew, but he couldn't help himself. _"If I do this I will never see my son… or his mother… ever again."_ He shook his head. _"Curse the soft meat to twist in the void forever, I never knew what it was to fear death before I met her. Now look at me, cowering on the eve of the battle."_

He was still absorbed in his brooding when a female voice behind him said _"You should tell your guards to pay more attention."_

Lex watched the hunter spin round in surprise, keeping her distance in case he lashed out. When he saw it was her he checked, mane settling back into place around his shoulders, dropping his fists that had come up – ready.

" _Your guards are sloppy."_ She said.

" _What are you doing here?"_ He said eventually, sounding confused.

" _I found you, using this."_ She held up the hand that wore the wrist-com _"See, I know how to use it now without blowing myself up!"_ She tried to make a joke, but her heart wasn't really in it.

" _But…,"_ He gestured to the baby strapped to her chest, still peacefully sleeping in his jaguar skin wrapping _"It is dangerous for you to be wandering around."_

" _Nowhere on this planet is safe. That is why I am here."_ She steeled herself _"I came to ask for your help."_

" _I thought you wanted me to leave you alone."_

" _I want to get off this planet."_ She said, then through gritted teeth _"You said earlier this war meant nothing to you – can you not get us away from here, in the shuttle?"_

" _Are you saying you will come back to me!?"_ He said in surprise.

She paused. This was the moment she'd been dreading all the way there. Privately she'd decided that if that was what he demanded as a price of his assistance, then that was what she would have to do. She didn't want to be forced into it, but she knew she would do whatever it took to protect her baby. She fought to keep her head amidst a crazy, contradictory mixture of emotions: steeling herself to stand her ground whilst at the same time hating herself _"I am asking you to help me anyway, help me protect our son. I have to get him away, S'Kia."_

" _I see."_ He regarded her for a moment in silence. If he was disappointed he didn't show it. He turned, looking out over the valley again _"Tonight we make our assault."_ He said over his shoulder _"Khurshad has decided, we will attack the Bad Blood encampment, when night falls."_

" _What?!"_ She said angrily _"You are telling me this stupid battle is more important to you than – "_

" _We will slip past their defences unnoticed, and sabotage all of their vessels, destroy their garrison here. It will be a great gamble – to see if we can destroy them before they destroy us."_

Lex's blood was boiling. She couldn't believe what she was hearing _"Are you saying you will not help me to get your own son out of – "_

" _You misunderstand me."_ He cut her off again _"I am telling you that you may as well take the shuttle. It is a Bad Blood craft but not so very different to one of our own ships – a little bigger – you will be able to pilot it I do not doubt. You are a fast learner."_ He looked at her for a moment.

" _I …do not understand."_ She said _"How will you and the squad get back to the Void Cutter if I take your ship?"_

" _That is what I am trying to explain. We will not need it."_

She was confused _"Do you mean .. reinforcements are coming?"_

" _No. I mean,"_ He sighed " _That we will not be coming back at all."_

" _What?"_ She whispered, brow wrinkled in disbelief. She thought she had not understood him properly.

" _This attack will not be easy,"_ He turned finally to look at her _"We must go in as quietly as we can, that means: no shuttle. Once they know we are there it will be fifty or sixty of them against six of us, perhaps more. I know that according to you I am a_ "fucked-up, crazy, son-of-a-bitch" _but against those odds, I do not think even my aptitude for violence will prevail."_

She was completely at a loss for a moment, her mouth opened and shut soundlessly under her visor. She wanted to grab hold of him and shake him for his stupidity.

" _Are you telling me … you are going to lay down your life? For the clan?!"_ She could hear her voice rising with her temper but she couldn't help it _"To die an 'honourable death'! What kind of silly, pointless – "_

" _It is what I was born to do."_ He said flatly _"Kill or be killed. It is the way of life – as I have told you before_. _"_

" _But that is ridiculous!"_ She said _"I do not understand – if they know the Bad Bloods are here, why do they not destroy this planet and wipe them out?"_

" _What – and destroy a valuable, strategic piece of territory? When they have us to dispose of?"_ Scar gave a derisory snort and a shake of his head _"Now that_ _ **is**_ _ridiculous!"_

" _So you will die before your son is even a few days old?"_

" _I have never met my father and my mother I barely remember."_ He waved one clawed hand in a dismissive gesture _"What does that matter? Why do you think it is so important?"_

She stood there for a moment, considering her next move. He was offering her a way out with no strings. She could leave, take Selim and get the hell out of here. He did not expect to come with her.

"What am I waiting for?" She thought "I should just go, leave this rock behind and never look back!"

And know that he was dead. That she was really on her own.

" _You do not mean this!"_ She tried again _"You cannot truly want to die"_

" _Why not?"_ He was staring out over the valley again. He'd disappeared back behind the disciplined, unemotional mask that he'd spent his whole lifetime cultivating, but it was clear from the muscles twitching in his shoulders that he was not as unconcerned as he was trying to appear _"I am not afraid."_

" _I did not say you were afraid…"_ She knew by the tone of his voice that there was no reasoning with him. It was pretty clear the only way she was going to be able to persuade him was if she gave in. "But I can't go back," She thought, mind racing "He's a killer, from a brutal alien culture… and the father of my child. I just wish I had more time to think…"

" _But why does it have to be tonight?"_ She said _"Why do you have to attack tonight?"_

" _It is what Khurshad has decided."_ He said _"And he is right! Time is against us. This planet is entering its rainy season – as you saw yesterday. I feel the moisture in the air already. Soon it will begin to rain for real and then it will not stop for many days. You know our cloaking devices will not work if they get wet. If we wait much longer we will lose the one slim advantage we have."_

She bit her lip and wondered what to do. Slowly, she walked over to stand beside him at the edge of the ravine – staring out over the thickly forested valley. The light had taken on a pinkish tinge with the heat of the afternoon. Ribbons of mist crept up slowly from the valley floor and snaked their way between the trees. As she watched a flock of flying shapes the size of eagles burst upwards and wheeled over the treetops. Whether they were birds, insects or something else entirely she couldn't tell at this distance.

" _So this is it?"_ She said, tightly _"You are determined to die, stupidly?"_

He said nothing but made an exasperated noise. The sound woke Selim, he opened his sulphur coloured eyes, yawned and began to struggle in her grasp.

Scar heard him and turned, curious in spite of himself _"He is sentient then?"_ She nodded _"Can I look at him?_ " He asked _"I would like to see him properly before I go to my death."_

Wordlessly she un-strapped the wriggling bundle from her chest and held him up so that Scar could see him. The hunter reached up and pulled out the pressurised screws that held his mask in place, taking it off. Then he leaned down so that his face was level with the baby. She was a little nervous of what he might do but that faded when she saw his expression. Despite all his protestations of indifference, she could see the rapt attention he focussed on his son.

Leaning closer he stretched out a claw and touched Selim's face with one talon, not roughly but not exactly gently either. The child cried out and squirmed, his scaley brow wrinkling in a grimace. "Careful!" She said.

" _He would not be damaged so easily!"_ A grin spread across his face and he reached out and plucked the baby out of her arms. Holding him up, he turned him this way and that, inspecting him like a new piece of equipment. Selim purled and chirruped at the attention but didn't seem to mind " _It is indeed fortunate that he resembles me more so than he does you, as I am much more physically attractive."_

" _You cannot know my relief!"_ She said. His jaws spread wider as he saw her trying not to smile and he made that clicking, purring noise. The effect on the baby was surprising. Far from being disturbed, he began purring himself, the higher pitched noise blending with Scar's deeper rumble.

Already seeming much more aware of his surroundings than she'd have ever expected at just over a day old, Selim reached out and gripped a talon that hovered near his face. Scar grinned broadly at her again over the baby's head.

" _He is strong, yes? And he is not afraid of me. That is good! He is not a coward."_

Lex couldn't trust herself to speak. She'd always entertained doubts about his fitness as a parent to say the least, but seeing them together and how similar they were to each other she was torn. She stood and watched as the rose-coloured afternoon shadows lengthened at their feet.

Suddenly, he stiffened and thrust Selim back into her arms. As she bristled angrily and began to protest he clamped one hand over her mouth. With the other hand he grabbed her arm, activating her cloaking device and dragging her behind him as he turned. Her head flicked round to see what he was looking at. Another hunter was emerging from the undergrowth, even with his mask on she recognised him. Khurshad.

She was startled and pulled Selim up against herself, shielding him with one arm. The threats the squad leader had made against her when she was pregnant came back to her and she fixed him with a look of pure, black-eyed hatred. It was, of course, totally wasted. His unseeing gaze slipped right over her, fixing instead on Scar.

" _I sent you to summon the others_." The senior hunter hissed _"Now I find you cowering here."_

" _Khurshad,"_ Scar acknowledged him icily. Lex could feel his fingers tighten around her arm, see his jaws clench as he wrestled down his temper _"I must have misunderstood you. I was considering."_

" _Consider this!"_ The squad leader snarled _"Ever since you came back with the ooman witch your mind has been poisoned_. _You are a_ _rabid animal. You should be thankful that she was killed in the battle! Or did you finally see sense and dispatch her yourself? It is the fate she has deserved for a long time, the insolent subspecies slut."_

" _Take that back."_ Scar's fists clenched.

" _Or you will do what, U'darahje?"_ Khurshad snarled.

" _I follow your orders for the sake of the clan. For now."_ The younger hunter purred softly _"But who knows when my tolerance for your idiocy will come to an end!"_

Khurshad's chest swelled with rage _"I have had enough of your insurrection!"_

Desperate to stop the situation spiralling out of control Lex reached up with an invisible hand and gripped Scar's upper arm, squeezing it to remind him of their presence. They couldn't afford to have him lose control, to have a tear up with Khurshad. Selim could get hurt. The shuttle could get damaged.

Scar took a deep breath next her and she felt him relax as he exhaled slowly.

" _It is as you say Khurshad,"_ He sighed _"I am … misdirecting my efforts. The mission is the important thing."_

The squad leader seemed surprised at this sudden reversal but visibly composed himself _"Just keep your mind on the task in hand S'Kia."_ And so saying he stalked off, leaving them alone.

She deactivated the device, looking up at Scar as she faded back into view. _"You controlled your temper."_ She said with a sigh of relief, remembering the weeks of bitter antagonism on board the Umbra _"Well done."_

" _Indeed."_ He said, voice suspiciously calm _"It is not a skill that I have highly valued previously, but being around you I have had no option but to practise controlling my temper."_ His deadpan expression cracked again in an evil grin.

Lex was about to smile back at him, but it died on her face as she noticed for the first time that his arms were bound in strips of what looked like skin.

" _These things you wear,"_ She said carefully _"The skins …you never wore it before."_

He flinched, pulling his wrist out of her reach _"It is a message. To my enemies."_ He said.

" _What sort of message?"_

" _That I have killed any who dared to face me. And I am going to kill them."_

She could think of nothing to say.

" _We are agreed then, you will take the shuttle."_ He said _"Get Selim away from here."_ It was not a question.

She nodded but then hesitated _"Khurshad will not agree to that!"_

" _You may take it when we leave. Tonight."_

" _What about Khurshad? And the others?"_

" _Let me deal with that!"_ He made a dismissive gesture _"In any case, what does it matter to him? We have little chance of coming back alive, he cannot object if he is dead!"_

" _But you might survive – there is a chance!"_ She said _"You might need the shuttle – we should wait for you."_

He began replacing his mask _"I imagine the other humans are skulking around somewhere. Make sure they stay hidden. I will prepare the shuttle before I leave. Tonight, as I have said. Keep yourselves out of the way until you are sure we have gone."_ He held up a hand with five, clawed fingers extended _"In five units from now."_

" _But…"_

" _And reactivate your device."_ He said _"Unless you wish to be seen!"_


	19. Chapter 19

The enemy ship was bigger than the Umbra. The cockpit was huge, almost twice as large as that of the Rough Skull shuttle. Dominating the whole room was the view screen, which could display either the view from the front windscreen of the shuttle or information from the ships computer – or both. It was currently showing a rotating schematic of the valley topography, bathing the whole of the room in an eerie, blue glow. Behind them was a bank of controls and monitoring instruments.

The Rough Skull squad stood ranged around the cockpit, sharpening weapons, checking firearms, or simply waiting and peering up at the screen display. The half light made strange shadows on their faces.

Scar leaned against the console in front of the screen, silhouetted against the phosphorescent, blue contours of the landscape. He was trying to collect his thoughts together, to marshal them so that none of them would know he was really wondering about his tiny helpless offspring … and his mother. Where were they now? Were they safe? Were they concealed?

" _By my count there are at least ten shuttles,"_ He said finally _"They are located here."_ He tapped a part of the schematic with one talon _"Fortunately fairly close together. But in the limited time I was there I observed a large amount of activity around them, Bad Bloods going in and out, loading supplies. Concealment will be …tricky."_

" _What is the matter, deviant?"_ Khurshad grunted derisively _"Worried you will not be up to it?"_

" _With respect ssssquad leader,"_ Scar said calmly _"I am stating facts – breaching the camp security will not be an easy matter. Nevertheless,"_ He flashed the senior hunter a brief, sardonic grin, causing him to curl up his mandibles in ill-temper _"As I am sure you are thinking yourself, the ships should be our first target. If they cannot use their stealth ships, they are seriously handicapped. We must plant the explosives here first."_

He paused, rubbing his wrist with one claw under the band of hide _"Our second target should be here,"_ The touch of a button zeroed in on another part of the valley _"The EMI scanners indicate these two structures here and here are where they are their armoury stores. The devices will most likely be kept there."_

At this point, Khurshad took over striding in front of Scar and taking up position in front of the screen. Scar stepped back nonchalantly, folding his arms and leaning on the back of a chair.

" _We will split into two groups."_ he growled _"Rika, Rathik and myself will take the left hand building. S'Kia, you, Sur'Kar and Vassir will take the right. You must evade detection for as long as you can."_

" _Agreed,"_ Scar put in _"The longer they are unaware of us the more damage we will be able to do."_ Khurshad glared at him suspiciously at this, unused to having the younger male agree with anything he said. Only half an hour ago they'd been squaring up to fight, now his mood had shifted suddenly and he seemed to want to smooth things over.

" _It does not feel right to me,"_ Sur'Karr grumbled _"Sneaking around, when we should be mounting a frontal assault. We should use this shuttle and take them by surprise. Storm their settlement!"_

" _Oh really Sur'Karr?"_ Scar turned to face the dissenter _"A frontal assault? Can you count? We are hugely outnumbered."_

" _I do not like it – it is dishonourable! It is not the yautja way!"_

" _Like it or not,"_ Scar folded his arms _"When you are fighting someone bigger and stronger than yourself and you are outnumbered you have to fight dirty!"_

He paused, remembering where he'd heard those words last: without even realising it he'd parroted the exact phrase she'd used on the Void Cutter. He shook himself mentally and continued _"They would wipe us out before we even manage to destroy all their shuttles."_

" _What if we are detected?"_ Vassir said _"If we are overcome, we will have to detonate our bombs."_

" _Are you frightened Vassir?"_ Rathik clicked scornfully.

" _You little disease!"_ Vassir leapt to his feet, making as if to launch himself at the other male in rage whilst Rathik spread his jaws threateningly. Khurshad looked about to intervene but Scar beat him to it. He didn't move from where he was but his voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

" _Silence, both of you!"_ He hissed _"Stop your whining!"_ Both males settled back in their places without even – Scar noted – a murmur of protest.

" _If one group is detected Vassir,"_ Khurshad went on, in a slightly nettled voice _"They should try and signal via the wrist-coms to warn the other team before detonating … we want all the explosives to go off at the same time if possible to ensure the maximum amount of devastation."_

" _So…"_ Vassir began again _"You are not expecting that we will be victorious in this mission, squad leader?"_

" _You are not stupid Vassir,"_ Scar put in silkily _"I imagine_ _ **you**_ _can count well enough. They outnumber us ten to one at least. Even if we achieve our objectives it will likely not be without sacrifice. Is that not right Khurshad?"_

If looks could kill the glare the squad leader cast towards his lieutenant should have eaten through his mask like hard meat blood. He fumed silently for a moment, before saying slowly _"S'Kia is right. Clearly we are the superior fighters but… we are outnumbered. It is quite possible that some of us will not walk out alive."_

There was silence in the cockpit.

" _But what does it matter? Is there anyone here who will not willingly lay down his life?"_ He went on _"Does any one of you fear death?"_

A chorus of denial.

" _We are agreed then."_ Khurshad stood up _"We will bring a storm of destruction and death to our enemies, the likes of which they can not imagine. As long as we are victorious – even in death – what else is there of any real importance but that?"_

* * *

After her conversation with Scar, Lex wasted little time in going to fetch Myers and Hobbes. The humans were sat huddled together nervously just where she'd left them. She could tell it was only their military training that meant they weren't holding hands and shivering. Both of them nearly jumped out of their skins when she shimmered into view, switching off her cloaking device as she emerged from the undergrowth.

"Well?" Myers' voice was steady at least "What happened, did he agree?"

"He will give us a way out." Lex said, her voice flat.

"Thank you Jesus!" Hobbes said fervently like a prayer, blowing out her cheeks in relief "Oh thank you Lord!"

"Lex, I never thought you'd be able to talk him round." Myers reached out and gripped her elbow.

She didn't respond to his enthusiasm, she just hugged the baby closer.

"So what do we have to do?" Hobbes cut in impatiently.

"We just have to wait." Lex sat down next to them, wincing a little under her mask as little griping pains shot through her abdomen "It'll be five of their units of time."

"And how long is that?"

"A unit is about forty five minutes, so about three and three quarter hours."

The three of them sat in silence for a while, the two soldiers waiting for her to enlighten them. When she offered no further comment Hobbes, unable to stand the tension, said "What exactly are we waiting for?"

"For them to leave." The woman was huddled up in the darkness

"Leave?" Hobbes's nose and brow wrinkled in puzzlement "I thought your 'friend' was gonna help us? Isn't he going to get us off this rock?"

Lex sighed "He's not here alone Hobbes. Do you really want to run into the rest of his squad?" The other woman's aghast expression told her all she needed to know "He and the rest of the hunters are leaving, they have business elsewhere on this planetoid. They plan to set out and attack the enemy hunters' camp. We have to wait until they're all gone."

"Then how the fuck are we going to get away?" Myers's angelic brow ruffled in puzzlement, "Who's gonna fly that thing?"

"I don't need him to do it." Lex said patiently "I can pilot a shuttle myself. I told you that."

"So…." Hobbes frowned "Won't they mind us taking their ship? What if they come back?"

Lex shook her head slowly "That won't be a problem."

"But if they catch us they're gonna be pissed – "

"They're not coming back."

"You're sure of that?" Hobbes ventured cautiously "How do you know?"

"Scar informed me." Lex gave a bitter smile "He's going to do the 'honourable' thing. For him that means dying."

"I don't pretend to understand what your relationship to this … alien is," Said Hobbes "But I don't understand why you're not jumping for joy. Surely this is everything you want? To get your baby away from here, for him to be safe and to be free of his father?"

Lex was speechless for a moment. Then, she got a grip on herself, flipped open her wrist-com and tapped a button "Four and a half units left."

* * *

None of the squad spoke on the long trek to the enemy encampment. Of course silence was necessary for concealment and each of them had plenty to think about, each one making his own private peace with whatever Gods he honoured, mentally preparing himself for the ordeal ahead … and the eventual oblivion waiting at the end of it.

Scar kept his own thoughts determinedly on the task before him. He'd made his own mind up back at the shuttle and now he just wanted to make sure he held to that purpose. If Lex didn't want to come back to him then the best thing he could do for her and for his son was ensure that this mission was successful. If the Bad Bloods were distracted fighting off an attack then she would have the best chance of getting Selim off this planet safely and into the bargain his promise to revenge R'Zuul would be fulfilled. Additionally the Rough Skull's enemies would suffer a massive setback to their plans, hopefully enough of a setback to give his own clan the chance to catch up with them technologically. It was the most rational choice he could make, he knew it was.

He concentrated on being stealthy. He concentrated on clearing his mind. He concentrated on watching for movement. To his dismay, he could feel a hint of moisture in the air – the planets rainy season was almost upon them. From what he knew about Hirai, the heavy shower of the night before would be only a warm-up for the months of ceaseless downpour that would soon follow. _"One more night, t_ _hat is all we need._ _"_ He thought, not quite sure whom he was addressing since he had long ago given up praying, from what he knew the bitch goddess did not answer prayers _"It only needs to hold off for one more night. Then we will have done what we came here to do."_

Of course he would be dead. That was the part he was trying not to dwell on. He used to feel no fear in the face of impending death, but now he saw it was as she'd once said to him; honourable or not it was still death.

 _"Perhaps this is how humans feel all the time."_ He thought _"Incredible, then, that they are still able to fight at all. Some of them anyway._ " He kept a tight hold on his thoughts, turning his mind resolutely away from the bloody ending he knew was coming whilst all the time his traitorous feet were taking him nearer and nearer to the Bad Blood camp, almost as if they were acting against his will.

* * *

"Come on." Lex said finally, looking at the timer display on the wrist-com "The hunters have gone by now."

"Shouldn't we wait?" Whispered Hobbes "Make sure the coast is really clear?"

"They won't be coming back," Lex told her, even through the mask they could hear the weariness in her voice "And it's a way from here to their shuttle. I'd rather get back there before this whole place turns into a warzone!" She jerked her head in the direction of the shuttle "I don't want to keep Selim out here any longer than I have to."

As if he sensed being talked about, Selim, who'd been sleeping peacefully against her shoulder shifted in her arms and gave a little purring whine of protest. Mutely the two humans got up to follow her.

Both Hobbes and Myers had noticed how subdued she seemed. Admittedly this jungle was not the place for idle chitchat. The greenery pressed in on all sides like a tunnel, oppressive and claustrophobic. Even now that the planet was in true night, the suffocating heat raised a dank sheen of perspiration on the skin. Insects whirred and clicked all around them, seeming obtrusively loud.

Lex strode onward, keeping ahead so she wouldn't have to speak to the other two. Her head was spinning.

No matter how hard she tried, everything seemed to conspire to drag her thoughts back to Scar. The jungle, so similar to the Amazon where they had lived all those months. The noise of the insects. More than anything, the warm, little body strapped against her chest. Selim sounded like his father, he smelled like him, he looked like him. "How am I ever going to be able to forget him when our son is a going to be a living, breathing monument to his memory?" She followed this unpleasant thought to its conclusion, unable to stop herself. "The older he gets the worse it'll be – and when he does grow up, what the fuck am I going to tell him?"

"It should be so simple," She told herself "So why do I feel like I'm making an awful mistake?"

She quickened her pace as much as she was able to with the dark and the uneven terrain. The shallow scoop of a valley that lay in front of the ridge on which the stolen Bad Blood shuttle was perched was swampy and filled with dark, sludgy pools. Only shallow in most parts but deep enough to be a nuisance. Without the mask it would've been heavy going but in the blue and green world of thermal vision she could see the dark spots that betrayed the cooler temperature of the shallow pools of water, showing up black against the dark blue of the earth. She hopped from patch to patch of dry ground, hearing Myers and Hobbes trudging along behind her – the occasional squelch of a misstep. She was hoping to get back to the ship and take off before she could change her mind – thinking she could outrun her doubts – but the closer they got to the shuttle the more conflicted she felt.

"Scar's made his choice." She told herself "We were fine in the Amazon, but he chose to bring us back here. He chose to skin that Bad Blood. Now he's choosing to go to his death. Let him go!"

" _You know he is only doing this because he thinks there is no hope."_ Whispered a treacherous little voice in her head.

"There isn't any." She snapped back.

"Y _ou could so easily have persuaded him to stay."_

She reached the edge of a large, murky pool. It was too wide to leap over, its depth uncertain. Despite her distracted state, something nagged at her brain, some sixth sense making her look around tensely, scanning the forest for the threat. She hesitated for a second on the bank, boot sinking into the thick mud. She mistrusted the water, although it was still; the glassy surface broken only by the occasional whirling insect too small to be seen apart from the spiralling ripples they caused. "What is it?" She heard Myers hiss behind her as the noise of the other humans squelching footsteps came to a halt. "Just a pool. Can't tell how deep it is." She answered, backing up and touching his arm to indicate the way round. She set out around the edge, boots almost being sucked off her feet in the sludge. Still all was quiet, the noise of their sluggish feet in the wet mulch the only sound breaking the silence. As they walked on she still felt that nagging sense of unease but it was muted by the churning chaos inside her head. She told herself she must be imagining things but then suddenly Selim, muffled against her chest, gave a little whimper. It could have been anything; hunger or fatigue, but the noise sent a sudden chill right through her….

She threw herself back and away from the water, clasping her baby tightly against her. At almost the same moment the pool exploded, erupting skywards in a raging column of foam.

* * *

Scar and Khurshad stood shoulder to shoulder, mutual antagonism forgotten for the moment, as they looked out over the valley that held the Bad Blood encampment. _"How in the name of the black eyed soul eating slut of a goddess did they manage to hide this from us?"_ The squad leader croaked in disbelief.

Scar said nothing. He could see what Khurshad meant. The small valley was a hive of industry, ten shuttles stood ready to launch and a further one was obviously in the process of an overhaul with a cohort of Bad Bloods toiling to make some last minute adjustments. There were also two bunkers, not large structures but big enough that they obviously had taken some time to construct. He wondered what they were needed for – probably to house technical equipment, the cloaking devices and some supplies most likely. There were also a large number of the enemy hanging around the place. Some were clearly on active guard duty, some where just hanging round waiting for the time when they would be needed.

It did seem incredible that all this could exist right under the eyes of their surveillance droids and satellites without them ever noticing, but he thought he could make a shrewd guess as to how it had been done. Halkrath's description of the workings of the cloaking device had stunned him with its cleverness. If the Bad Bloods had access to such technology who was to say what they could do! All that would be needed was to get one craft here undetected. Then the yautja on board could interfere with the Rough Skulls own tech systems. They could meddle with the feed that sent information back to the ship, send them misleading data to conceal that anything had changed – oh there were ways they could have done it. And of course from here they could launch fleets of attack fighters against the Rough Skull warships from inside their own territory – maybe even build their own warship once they had a device big enough to hide it! Looking at the encampment, he couldn't help feeling a treasonous sense of admiration for such an audacious plan. And he'd always thought the Bad Bloods were stupid!

" _Leave the higher tactics to the likes of Nar'Jat, Khurshad."_ He said finally _"It does not matter now how they got here."_

" _For once, you are right U'darahje,"_ Muttered the senior male _"All that matters now is their annihilation."_

Scar grunted his assent, ignoring the insult – in a way he'd come to see it as a badge of honour to be called the Abomination. It was satisfying in a perverse way to be recognised as such. It was true, he felt it himself: he'd passed beyond their understanding, although he couldn't pinpoint how or when this had happened. No point in fighting now, here, on the brink _"So what now?"_ He purred.

" _As we discussed,"_ Khurshad replied _"I will take a squad and so shall you."_

" _We will take the shuttles first?"_

" _Yes, rig them with explosives and then we will take the bunkers,"_ The senior hunter replied _"Your squad on the left and mine on the right. If anything goes wrong detonate your self-destruct devices. We will connect their detonators to our sat coms so that, if the mission should be terminated prematurely, we will cause the maximum amount of damage."_

Scar glanced over, mildly surprised that his captain had given the matter so much thought _"But we must keep in constant contact before detonation surely?"_ He said _"In case one squad is destroyed before the other."_ He said.

" _No."_ Khurshad shook his head _"We cannot risk using our coms systems inside their stronghold. We might alert them to our presence."_

" _In that case,"_ Scar said slowly _"If it seems we are in danger of being overcome we must detonate!"_ This time it was Khurshad's turn to be impressed _._ This streak of ruthlessness in his lieutenant he couldn't help but admire.

" _Yes, S'Kia."_ He rumbled _"Finally it seems you are coming to your senses!"_

Had he been listening, Scar might have been pleased to hear the squad leader using his real name for a change instead of the usual insult but his mind was somewhere else entirely _"We must wreak utter destruction upon them."_ He growled _"Obliterate them! Make them as nothing!"_

Khurshad couldn't see the younger male but he could sense his breathing. It wasn't the measured, calm breathes that bespoke the tranquil state of mind desirable before battle. Scar was heaving great gulps of air and seemed to be almost trembling – perhaps from tension or some other emotion Khurshad could not guess at. He felt a movement in the air and heard the tell-tale ring of metal as the younger male unsheathed his dah-kte. _"Nothing!"_ He said as if to himself _"Nothing will stand in the way of my revenge!"_

" _What is he talking about?"_ Thought Khurshad _"He is still mad!"_ Another idea occurred to him, making him grin – doubly unseen under the mask and the invisibility of the cloaking device _"I will do what R'Zuul could not, I will use his madness as a weapon to hammer our enemies. Nar'Jat would be greatly pleased. And then when he can be of no more use…"_ He glanced over at where he knew Sur'Kar and Vassir stood _"Then he will no longer be my problem..."_

* * *

Lex rolled over and over in the wet ferns, shielding Selim from the impact of the fall as best she could inside the protective circle of her arms. She sprang upright almost immediately, scrambling away from the lip of the pool as fast as she was able, the muscles of her legs burning. Every nerve in her body jangled with terror as she leapt again, away from the waters edge. In her desperation to get her baby away from this squeezing, strangling horror, she didn't even look back. She knew what it was that had ambushed them, lying so still and silent under the water's surface. A shapeshifter. A flesh-eating, blood-sucking blob of carnivorous slime.

Without even being aware of it her hand was already on her grenade belt – empty! She grabbed her plasma cannon, jerking it free of the holster. It wouldn't be able to stop it but at least it might be able to keep it at bay for a short time if she got snared. Every second she expected to feel the soft, clammy touch of tendrils winding themselves around her ankle or her thigh.

She gained the advantage of a patch of higher ground and turned, breath rattling in her lungs, squeezing the baby so hard he squealed and struggled in fright. Even as she turned she heard a yell and realised that, in her haste to get herself and her baby away from the threat, she hadn't thought to shout a warning to the other humans.

Hobbes was sprawled on the ground, trying to push herself upright in the mud. At the moment the shape-shifter attacked Myers had instinctively acted to protect her, thrown her to one side. She could see though that in saving Hobbes he'd condemned himself. Now he was lying nearby, fingers frantically scrabbling to get a grip in the soft ooze as he was inexorably dragged towards the water. Lex's eyes flashed down his body and saw the mud-coloured tendrils wrapped around his legs, almost invisible in the darkness. The chameleon had him.

Lex watched, rooted to the spot as Myers was dragged back struggling and screaming. Part of her wanted to rush forward and grab the man's hand but she overruled the impulse, she couldn't take Selim anywhere near that hateful thing. She felt the curtain coming down. The cold, hard shield that slid into place when she needed it, that separated her emotions from her logical self, so she could do what needed to be done.

Then as he cried out for help something got through the wall "I can't just stand by and watch the two humans who delivered my baby be devoured by that vile thing!" She lifted the plasma cannon and opened fire, hitting the tentacle that held Myers. It sizzled and snapped like overstretched chewing gum but immediately two more snapped forward to take its place. She advanced down the slope to get a better shot and tried again but again the same thing happened.

Hobbes was already lunging for Myers' outstretched hand, moving as fast as she was able to with her injured leg. Their gloved fingers meshed for a moment and then, unable to keep their grip through the plastered mud, slithered over each other. Hobbes lunged again, this time grabbing him by both wrists. Myers hadn't made a noise since his first, shocked cry. His eyes were wide and staring. Hobbes was trying to anchor her feet, trying to pull her friend back, but she couldn't get a purchase in the wet earth that was being churned into a quagmire. He was stretched out, his body snapping taut like a bowstring and a strangled sound escaped his lips.

Lex's plasma cannon wove from side to side as she tried to get a bead on the thing without hitting the man's leg. As she watched Myers suddenly began to scream and thrash wildly. The creeping ooze had travelled halfway up his thigh. Somehow she knew, just knew, that the slime had penetrated his clothing – flowed under the hem of his combats or into his boots. His leg was engulfed in the awful stuff.

She fired again, firing shot after shot at the part of the shape-shifter below where she judged Myers' leg to be, but the viscous goo was too thick. The surface crackled and coruscated with tiny flames but it held, and a tide of the insidious threads were roiling up his thigh. Now both his legs were covered in the stuff and Myers' voice broke into a scream, "Hobbes!" He said in a strangled shriek, tears of hysteria mingling with snot and slimey mud as they rolled down his face "Please!"

Hobbes was virtually sobbing herself, tears of her own leaking from the corners of her eyes as she fought uselessly against the strangling strength of the shape-shifter "Hold on!" She gulped, staring into his terrified face "Just hold on to me!"

Then she was catapulted backwards as the strangling strength of the creature wrenched Myers from her mud-slicked grasp, sucking him into the main mass of the thing until he was submerged up to his waist. He began to thrash frenziedly, arms flailed uselessly at the empty air and his eyes stared at the two of them fixedly, as if by his gaze he could somehow pull himself back to them, back to the land of the living.

Lex levelled the plasma cannon at Myers forehead "It's ok." She whispered, half to herself and half to the man dying in front of her "I won't let you suffer!"

She looked into Myers' sky-blue eyes for a second, forcing herself to see the fear, to feel the pain – punishing herself for what she knew she was about to do. Then she squeezed the trigger. She heard the roar of the shot. Saw Myers' body jerk. Saw his eyes go dark.

* * *

Scar crept forward through the Bad Blood camp. His cloaking device making him invisible to all unfriendly eyes but he still kept his distance from the patrols that were dotted around the perimeter. He knew their sense of smell was not equal to that of his own clan and most of them were wearing their masks anyway, but nonetheless it was just as well to be cautious. Nevertheless, keeping his calm was an effort. Just the sight of those leech vermin was enough to make his fists itch and it was all he could do to stop himself from attacking them then and there. He kept thinking back to the fight on the Void Cutter, the memory of hearing Lex scream, seeing those ghastly wounds on her skin. It made his blood seethe quietly in his veins and the red mist rise up inside his skull, threatening to choke all rational thought. The fact that they were prepared to kill a pregnant female – _his_ pregnant female! The cowards deserved to be wiped out by any means necessary.

He slunk towards the shuttles, unable to see Sur'Karr and Vassir but knowing they were there. He had been disappointed to find that the squad he was to command did not include Rika. With as many enemies as he undoubtedly had, he infinitely preferred to have somebody he could trust watching his back but he hadn't wanted to argue the point with Khurshad, knowing it would not be advisable to show the least sign of doubt or worse… fear.

The rank of space crafts stretched out in front of him and he stopped, falling back into the shadows as a knot of warriors passed them by. Laughing amongst themselves as they discussed the planned attack on his species. From the snatches of their talk he could hear it was clear they didn't consider it was going to present much of a problem. _"Over-confident."_ He thought scornfully _"They are not even expecting us to launch any kind of counter attack, they are so secure in their superiority. Well they will soon learn differently!"_

" _Start laying the explosives."_ He whispered through the mask intercom, his voice just a thin thread of sound _"You two start at the far end of the line. I will start at this end. Make sure they are well concealed but that you use enough so that the ships will be utterly destroyed. We need them to remain hidden long enough to penetrate the security of their bunker."_

As he pulled his own cache of explosives from the pack strapped across his back. Portable limpet-mines that would stick magnetically to the metal surface of the ships. They were – he hoped – small and unobtrusive enough to escape notice by anyone. The Bad Blood engineers had finished their maintenance work on the shuttles, they'd observed them for an hour before making their move. He just had to trust that they wouldn't be back before he had a chance to detonate them. A few hours was all they'd need if all went according to the plan.

He went down on all fours beside the nearest shuttle and, with one arm, pulled himself underneath the craft, rolling onto his back as he did so. He attached one of the mines to the belly of the ship, slotting it into place softly so that the metallic clunk would not attract any attention. He flipped the switch that would make the device active, thankful that Halkrath had thought to deactivate the blinking, red light that indicated the bomb was armed.

He crawled to the next shuttle, pulling himself forward through the soft leaf litter on his belly. As he set the second mine in place, he heard a noise that spurred him to work faster, crawling down the line of shuttles as quickly as he dared: the sound of the approaching storm.

Khurshad's mood matched the darkness of the gathering thunderheads as he, Rathik and Rika slunk towards the innermost bunker, the one furthest from the perimeter.

" _Nar'Jat knew I had the strength for this mission,"_ He told himself _"But I doubt even he could stomach that filthy degenerate for this long – he makes my flesh crawl! I would rather enter a nest of Leeches without weapons or armour than spend another day in his company."_

He settled in a convenient patch of cover and gave a soft hiss, signalling for the others to stop.

Ever since he'd become aware of S'Kia's existence, the day he'd brought the ooman back from the hard meat hunt, Khurshad had always disliked him. That very action had seemed to him the height of bad taste and poor judgement. From then on S'Kia had done nothing but compound his offence. When Vassir had told him that the ooman pet was here on Hirai and related the things he'd heard S'Kia say to her, Khurshad's very worst suspicions were confirmed.

" _I always knew his relations with that female must be unnatural!"_ He thought with grim satisfaction _"Why else would he drag her useless human carcass around but to satisfy some depraved appetite? I would not be surprised if he had arranged for her to be here for some devilment he is planning. Well I will soon put a stop to it."_

" _I do not like his little friend any better,"_ He frowned as he watched the Bad Bloods, waiting for them to move out of the way _"Rika is a pathetic little worm, he hangs around S'Kia like flies around a week-dead corpse! I would not be surprised if he followed him in other ways too…"_

He shifted uncomfortably on his haunches. It was not in his nature to question the judgement of Nar'Jat, he did not have the imagination. Khurshad had known Nar'Jat long before his ascent to power. In the beginning he had been scornful of the small, dark-skinned male. He himself had always been big and strong – able to pound other males into the ground like a hot knife through faulty armour. His peers had lived in dread of him. In the sparring room he delighted in crushing them one by one – until the day he fought Nar'Jat.

Back then the Head of the Council had been lean and wirey. When he'd challenged Khurshad, the young-blood had not shown any fear. That in itself was not surprising – any yautja out of infancy betrayed his fear only at the risk of total social exclusion or even death – but neither had Nar'Jat displayed any of the usual over-confident bravado that bespoke an underlying unease. The dark one had merely smiled very slightly, as if he knew something others didn't. That got under Khurshad's skin.

He'd had stepped up to Nar'Jat, impatient to be at the insolent midget. What followed had been the most humiliating few minutes of his life. Sain'Ja said the hard meat was fast, Khurshad knew from experience that Nar'Jat was faster. It was like fighting smoke, every time he reached out to grab the darting black shape he missed. He began to get angry and rage made him clumsy. He began making mistakes and Nar'Jat exploited every error mercilessly until he was on his knees, his _knees_!

The first time it happened he'd been so angry he was almost blinded, but sadly he could still hear. As the laughter of his audience rang in his ears he felt his own impotence for the first time. Unbearable! _"It is a trick!"_ He told himself _"A fluke! It must be!"_

All that was needed was for him to beat the upstart and show him his proper place and everything would be right again – he knew it! But every time he challenged Nar'Jat, the same thing happened. The little runt refused to fight him on his own terms, Khurshad would lunge but the slender black shadow would dance around him until he was exhausted and beaten. It happened again and again, until one day something strange happened.

As he felt himself beaten yet again, felt his defeat as inevitably as Nar'Jat's blade at his throat, a strange chemical reaction occurred in Khurshad's mind _"He is better than me. I cannot defeat him, because it has been predestined."_ So his unshakeable loyalty to his future commander had been forged.

From then on Khurshad had followed Nar'Jat and obeyed his orders without question…until now. S'Kia incensed him beyond enduring.

" _Useful Nar'Jat calls him!"_ He fumed _"As if there could ever be any real use for a lunatic tainted by a sickness of the brain! In this I think maybe… Nar'Jat…"_ He could not quite bring himself to think that Nar'Jat might be _wrong_ but … _"The Abomination has taken on a soft ooman sort of cunning. A taint that pollutes all it touches….Nar'Jat has fallen under its influence also. I alone have remained untouched, because I see him for what he really is."_

* * *

Keeping her eyes and her plasma cannon trained on the shape-shifter, Lex inched towards the stricken Hobbes where she lay in the mud. The creature was intent on its meal, quietly absorbing Myers. His body was being drawn silently into the midst of the hulk. She shuddered as the dead eyes stared back at her, slowly disappearing under a network of slimey strands. She took hold of Hobbes' shoulder and began to pull her to her feet. The medic didn't resist though her chest was heaving with grief. She allowed Lex to help her stagger to one side, away from the quivering mass of the chameleon. Lex dragged her along, wouldn't let her stop until they'd put enough distance between them and it. Finally they came to rest on a patch of higher ground she judged to be safe.

She turned to Hobbes but when the medic raised her head her eyes burned in her mud blackened face with naked hatred.

"How could you?" She half-yelled, half sobbed "How could you do that to Myers – after he helped you? You're completely inhuman!"

"Get a grip on yourself!" Lex hissed back as Selim shifted and began to grizzle at the noise "We couldn't have helped him!"

"You mean you _wouldn't_!"

"We couldn't!" Lex repeated. She wondered if she were trying to convince herself as much as the other woman, but then dismissed the thought almost instantaneously. "Myers would have been dead no matter what I did!" She told herself.

"You cold-hearted bitch." Hobbes shook her head disbelievingly "You're as monstrous as those things! He helped you – "

"And I saved him from a terrible, painful death." She cut the other woman off, not wanting to hear the rest of what she had to say "You can't imagine the pain he would have gone through. Don't hate me because I did what had to be done. I couldn't let him suffer."

Hobbes stared at her for a second and then the fight went out of her and she lolled despairingly forward. For a moment Lex was at a loss, long unused to dealing with open displays of grief and emotion. Then slowly she unfroze, putting an uncertain arm around Hobbes, she the let the other woman rest her head on her shoulder.

* * *

" _That is the final shuttle S'Kia."_ Sur'Kar's voice hissed _"All of them are rigged up now."_

" _Good."_ He replied _"Now we must – "_ His words were cut off by the muted rumbling of thunder, far off still but closer now than when he'd first heard it.

" _You heard that?"_ Vassir breathed.

For once Scar resisted the urge for sarcasm, keeping his mind purely on the mission _"We must infiltrate their bunker."_ He said grimly _"We must try to destroy as many of their devices as possible before we engage them."_

Getting close to the bunker proved to be a more difficult task than getting under the shuttles. The shuttles were stationed off to one side of the camp, so that the exhaust fumes and heat from landings and take-offs would not be a problem. The bunkers were in the centre of the encampment and there seemed to be a steady stream of traffic through their main entrance ways. They were not the kind of temporary structures that could have been knocked up in one night. They had foundations, they obviously had power supplies; it followed that they would have security systems.

Scar cursed to himself. Whilst the devices made them invisible to the Bad Bloods, they did not do anything to help with the automatic locks that he guessed would be guarding the big main doors. The most obvious way of gaining entry would be to slip in behind one of the patrols of Bad Bloods, but even that had its problems. Unless the patrol were all masked there was still the possibility that they would detect the presence of enemy warriors through scent alone. Despite the Bad Bloods inferior sense of smell, he guessed that the smell of males from a rival clan would be as revolting to them as their putrid, hormonal stink was to him. Luckily, the fact that they were preparing for battle meant that they were more likely to be masked than not.

But it would also be too risky for them all to go in with one patrol, the motion sensors would almost certainly detect that there were more bodies gaining access to the building than was authorised. They would have to do it one at a time.

He sighed as he saw a knot of masked Bad Bloods approaching and knew he had to make his move now. There was no point in wasting time deliberating. At any moment a cloudburst could reveal their presence to all and sundry. _"Sur'Kar, Vassir."_ He said in an undertone _"We must go separately for maximum concealment, attach ourselves to a squad going in and slip in behind them. I will go in first. Follow me."_

Moving noiselessly, he emerged from cover and fell in behind the group, hanging back far enough – he hoped – that they would not sense his presence. Stealing along behind them, he listened to the insectoid drone of their conversation.

" _Tikkrit sayzz there are oomans here?"_ One of them was saying _"A pity we are being engaged on business – or they might have made for an amusing diversion!"_

" _You think not that the Lizard crawlers will provide diversion enough?"_ Replied his larger comrade in arms _"Rubbing them out will provide a far greater challenge than picking off a few soft meat – unless perhaps that is beyond you ViGriK?"_

There was an outburst of buzzing laughter at this and the male known as ViGriK bristled visibly, clearly nettled by the gibe _"Perhaps it is you who is going soft KreeKit, if you think the spotted skins so great a challenge!"_

The larger one did not respond except to laugh again and reached out a mammoth arm to hold his wrist control up to the door panel. Obediently the authorisation light winked on and the doors slid apart. The Bad Bloods ambled through, still close enough that he could still follow the train of their speech. The larger warrior, KreeKit, was still laughing as they entered _"Keep talking your nonsense ViGrik and you will not have the chance to so much as lay your blade to a lizard's skin, I promise you that!"_

" _You may get the chance sooner even than we expect."_ Another said _"I heard they found Itkziith the border guard dead this morning. He was half skinned like a prey-beast, eyes put out."_

" _Skinned!?"_

" _So they have doubled the border guard."_ Said the bringer of bad news _"Tikkrit is convinced there are lizards here, but so far they have evaded us."_

 _"They dare to skin us?"_ ViGrik spat in disgust _"The insolence of the vermin –"_

Scar's fists clenched – they were talking about him! _"Vermin, hmmmmmmm?"_ He thought _"Vermin who rolled back the tide of your troops on board the Cutter. Who killed your fighters easily and flayed off their skins. And I will kill you too before the dawn comes again!"_

He slid after them into green-tinged darkness and the doors whispered shut behind him, sealing him in along with his enemies.

* * *

Hobbes allowed Lex to lead her blindly through the jungle, putting up no resistance. Lex struck out towards the place where she knew the shuttle had to be as fast as she was able. It wasn't easy. The ridge on which the shuttle sat was a steep uphill slog and she was having to hold the injured woman's shoulder upright, walk herself and carry Selim as well. She couldn't see the ship, but it made sense that Scar would've left it cloaked in order to avoid detection. Despite the fact that she couldn't see it she didn't need to use the wrist-com's scanner to find it, the ridge was a fairly obvious landmark. She knew it would still be there.

Sadness for Myers hovered at the edge of her mind, threatened to drag her down. Death had become such a constant companion that she'd thought herself immune to feeling but the suddenness with which his life was snuffed out, the horror of having to kill another human who she liked and who'd been kind to her, had taken her unawares. They'd known each other only a short time but his death had gotten to her – he and Hobbes had been the only friendly human faces she'd seen in nearly two years and now he was dead. Lex hadn't realised until now how much she'd missed that human company.

She made a worried glance back at the distant shapeshifter. Now it was just a dark mass, shivering ecstatically as it consumed their former friend.

The closer they got to the shuttle the more she kept thinking about another death that was imminent "Soon Scar will be dead too, just like Myers." She thought "Both left behind until the jungle swallows their bones." She pushed the thought resolutely away, now was not the time for doubts.

* * *

Inside the bunker, Scar followed the Bad Blood patrol down the metal corridor, padding silently after them. His eyes darted from side to side as they walked trying to map out the route they were taking in his mind, in the unlikely event that he was able to escape he needed to be able to find his way out. He had toyed briefly with the idea of waiting for Vassir and Sur'Kar to get inside but dismissed it. They would be able to locate him with their own tracking devices if needs be. Besides, he still had some explosives left and he imagined could do just as much damage on his own as with the other two.

He had hoped that the leeches might lead him to his goal: their cache of cloaking devices and weapons but he soon realised that he was out of luck. Listening to their talk he could make out that they were going to some sort of meeting place and, as they rounded a corner, he saw a wide door at the end of the tunnel. Low level light and the noise of voices and movement spilled out into the corridor and he realised with dismay that they were leading him directly to their great hall.

" _This is no good,"_ He said to himself _"I cannot boldly stroll into their council meeting. The devices will probably not be there, and there would be too many enemies around, the risk of detection will be too great. Besides, if they are all gathered in that room now is the perfect time for me to search."_

As they passed a series of shallow alcoves he stealthily peeled away from the troupe of Bad Bloods and slipped into of them, pressed against the wall whilst he considered his next move.

" _No point in waiting around here,"_ He told himself _"Every moment I stay increases my risk of detection – I had better start trying to locate my objective."_

He slunk along back the way he'd come, every particle of attention in his brain and every fibre of his being concentrated on making no noise. The air was hot and still inside the bunker and machine noise hummed and whirred around him, as humid and busy as the atmosphere of the jungle. The lighting here was kept at a low level, presumably to conserve energy – hunters wearing masks would not generally need it anyway. That thought gave him pause, he had not actually seen an unmasked leech since arriving at the camp. Perhaps one of their conditions of a state of high alert was that all of them would be required to be always masked. It would certainly help mitigate against sneaky incomers.

 _"Most sneaky incomers anyway!"_ He grinned briefly to himself.

His smirk faded as his mind returned to the job before him – where would the armoury be? He rounded corner after corner, methodically searching each avenue _"How many damned rooms does this filthy bugs nest have in it anyway?"_

A hiss in his ear and suddenly his masks intercom came to life. _"S'Kia, I am inside."_ Said Sur'Kar's voice very quietly _"Where are you? I do not want to switch off my cloak to look at my tracker."_

Scar thought for a moment, trying to orient himself from the bunkers entrance where he knew Sur'Kar must be. He moved cautiously back towards the main passageway towards the door, as he reached the mouth of the tunnel a sixth sense told him another body was there concealed in the gloom.

" _Are you at end of the main passage?"_ He gave an interrogatory click.

" _Yes."_ Came the reply.

Scar reached out with one careful arm until his hand made contact with the armour plating on Sur'Kar's shoulder.

" _You are here, good."_ He said _"Where is Vassir?"_

" _Still outside. We came in one at a time – as you ordered."_

" _Hmmm, well we cannot break coms silence… and we cannot wait for him."_ Scar shrugged in the dark _"We have to find where they are keeping the remaining devices – they must be keeping them somewhere nearby, ready for the assault. Further down from here there is a passage that branches off to the left – I have tried all the rooms down the right hand branch."_

Sur'Kar grunted his agreement and followed him down the corridor.

* * *

As they reached the place where she judged the shuttle must be, Lex raised the metal wristcom and flipped open the panel. Hobbes clung doggedly to her shoulder, all but worn out by the climb. Despite her exhaustion and grief she gave an involuntary gasp as the ship rippled into view like a mirage. "Incredible," the medic breathed "How the hell can it _do_ that?"

Lex almost smiled, remembering that Hobbes had never seen one of the alien ships before "Beats me." She shrugged.

"I just can't believe something that big could be sitting right here and me not see it…" Hobbes gave a low whistle.

The hatch in the belly of the shuttle was already open. Scar must have left it that way on purpose she supposed. She and Hobbes climbed the stairs slowly, the metallic noise of Hobbes's uneven footsteps sounding far too loud in Lex's ears.

"At least she's a lot lighter than Scar!" She thought, recalling how she'd carried him half-conscious up the gangway back on Earth. Even that short climb had felt like a gruelling hike; having to support his weight, both of them all but collapsing as they reached the top, covered in mud and green and red blood. The feelings of that day came back to her. The exaltation of escape, of defeating all enemies.

As the low-level lights flickered on illuminating the ship's interior, she almost whistled herself. It was much bigger than the Umbra, everything just built on a slightly bigger scale to accommodate the hulking frames of the Bad Bloods. She half-dragged Hobbes over to the co-pilot's seat. The soldier gave a grunt of pain as she pulled herself slowly onto it. She looked almost like a child sat there, dwarfed by the enormous chair. Her green eyes were wide and dark with alarm in her pale, shocked face. Lex looked at the woman for a moment, feeling a wave of pity. She wished there was something she could say to make Hobbes feel better but could think of nothing. She had her own problems.

She knew that what she should do now – what she _ought_ to do – was to strap herself into the pilot seat and take off, fly this shuttle out of here and get her baby and Hobbes and herself as far away from this place as she could. Nevertheless, now that it had come time to leave she felt sick.

Getting back on board a shuttle like this brought it all flooding back to her. Memories flashed through her head, as confusing and contradictory as if they'd all come from different lifetimes: the months of relative calm in the Amazon, the Bad Blood being skinned, killing the Queen in the Antarctic, in the desert.

Scar staring into his son's eyes as if hypnotised by the baby's yellow gaze.

"I'm leaving him here to die." She thought "The only other person in the whole universe who cares about Selim as much as I do."

This thought struck her so forcefully that she actually stopped in her tracks, stunned.

"I let him go to his death." She thought raising one hand to her lips in horror, chewing distractedly on the flesh of one knuckle "When I could've stopped him.… I'm so stupid"

She turned to look back through the hatchway, out into the dark. She pulled her plasma-cannon and crossed the floor to the shuttle hatchway, moving slowly and hesitantly. She stood staring out into the blackness. With the mask's infrared vision she could see out into the hot night where she knew the sludge-coloured pile of jelly would still be lying, quivering with satiated pleasure at the side of the pool. She couldn't see a creature that gave off no heat-signal – even with the mask – but her eyes were not really looking for it. She was seeing something else: she was seeing the night she and Scar had trapped another shape-shifter, in a different jungle. She remembered it hanging in the air like a bubble of scummy water. She remembered how exhilarating it had been, she'd felt she could do anything; rise to any challenge, conquer any enemy.

Unconsciously she leaned one hand against the door frame and the touch of the cold metal brought her back to reality with a jolt. She stroked her fingers along it. The door was thick, thicker even than the doors of the Umbra – she guessed because the shuttle was on a bigger scale altogether to mirror the hugeness of the Bad Bloods. A thick door, an airlock to keep out the frozen, sucking void of space and keep the air in ….

"Hey, what is it?" Hobbes said softly, Lex turned to see the soldier watching her anxiously "Is there something out there?"

Lex's head flicked back and forth between the red-headed woman and the dark forest. An idea had struck her: a crazy amalgam of the two thoughts which had been preoccupying her until the creature attacked. She looked again at the place where she knew the shapeshifter was waiting…. waiting for her.

"Is that horrible thing coming?" Hobbes's hair was virtually standing on end "Is it trying to get in here?"

"Not yet," Lex shook her head "But…"

"What?" The medic said sharply.

"Hobbes," Lex's voice took on a pleading tone "I know you're angry with me, but please believe me there's nothing we could've done!"

Hobbes didn't answer her but looked away, Lex could see her blinking back angry tears. She fought down the learned hunter's contempt for weakness and forced herself to soften – no, _allowed_ herself to soften. She had to get this woman on her side.

"Hobbes," She said "Alice, I can't have you fall apart like this. I need you. No matter what you think of me – we have to work together."

"What are you talking about?" Hobbes asked "We've got the shuttle, let's get out of here!"

"I know you aren't going to like this but you're just going to have to trust me." Lex stretched out her arms, holding her son up towards the other woman "I need you to take him."

Hobbes shrank back from the wriggling baby "What do you mean: 'take him'?"

Lex crossed the floor to Hobbes and thrust Selim into her unwilling arms. Unable to do anything else, Hobbes took the baby – pulling the squirming bundle onto her lap and looked up into Lex's face.

"I don't understand," Hobbes asked again "Where are you going?"

Lex turned and began to walk towards the door "I'm going back for the shapeshifter." Was all she said.

"Lex, no!" Hobbes called after her "You don't need to get revenge – let's just go! Lex?! Lex!" But the other woman ignored her, striding out into the jungle with the steely determination of the temporarily insane. Hobbes had seen that type of obstinate fearlessness before. Men or women who'd seen too many friends left maimed and screaming by a stray mortar or an impersonal hail of machine-gun fire; or senselessly slaughtered in pointless manoeuvres for a cause that they didn't understand.

Some pent it all up, turned it inwards upon themselves until later it manifested itself as delayed trauma – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Those people fell apart, broke down, ended up shuddering, twitching wrecks pumped full of meds.

Others turned it outwards. They didn't suffer in silence; they'd just decide suddenly that enough was enough, lashing out wildly at friends and enemies alike. Either way, she knew the signs of someone who was no longer in orbit around 'planet rational'.

"Lex! Lex? Shit!" The soldier tried to get up but tiredness, the injury to her leg and the weight of the baby in her arms all conspired to keep her in the chair "For God's sake, come back!" She hissed. There was no reply.

Hobbes struggled to rise for a few seconds but finally sank back, defeated. The baby in her lap fixed her with a penetrating yellow stare and gave what sounded like an interrogatory chirrup of noise.

Hobbes heaved a deep, shuddering breath "We're all going to fucking die!"


	20. Chapter 20

Out in the sweltering night, Lex glanced anxiously back at the shuttle, using the masks infra-red vision to map out the route in the darkness. More than any other creature she'd fought the shape-shifter filled her with horror, a feeling of disgust and loathing that threatened to overwhelm all reason. At the idea of being slowly and silently consumed by that gelatinous mass, her limbs threatened to freeze with fear. She swallowed and willed herself to move.

Licking her lips she crept nearer to it, uncertain how to attract its attention especially when every instinct she had recoiled at the thought. She tried to remember what she and Scar had done last time, when they had faced it together. More than anything she wished he were here.

The vile sludge was still there, apparently sunk into a sated torpor – like an anaconda that had swallowed an entire warthog. She stood for a moment. Finally, at a loss for what to do, she snatched up a stone from the ground and hurled it at the shape-shifter. It disappeared under the surface of the mass with barely a ripple. Her eyes narrowed, focussing on the creature with a seething, almost evangelical hatred.

"Come on you ugly motherfucker!" She tried to say it loudly, but her throat was hoarse. Her own voice sounding weak and ineffectual to her. The chameleon shuddered but didn't budge "Hey!" She yelled, louder this time "What are you waiting for, freak?! Why don't you come and eat me?"

It continued to sit there, unmoved. Slowly, every nerve and every sinew in her body stretched taut, she drew her plasma gun and levelled it at the creature. Tensing, ready for flight, she fired. The plasma fire disappeared into the centre of the beast with a wet sizzle but the effect was instantaneous. The creature reared up, pouring impossibly into the air to form a glistening tower of outraged slime. Lex didn't waste time but sprang away, moving with feral urgency as it surged towards her like a flood. She bolted for the shuttle, adrenaline heightening every sense and making her feel like her muscles were filled with liquid fire.

As she pelted through the undergrowth, the short distance to the ship seemed to stretch out before her, a vast, un-crossable vista. Ahead of her she could see the open hatch, a chink of pale light. If she was too slow Hobbes would be left alone here with Selim. There would be nobody else to protect her child. She redoubled her efforts, her feet slithering on the swampy ground. Behind her, she heard the crashing and rending of the creature as it rolled over the forest floor – an unstoppable juggernaut, now fully roused from its slumber and thirsty for blood.

She didn't want to waste breath cursing as she crossed the last few metres and saw, in her minds eye, mud coloured tendrils reaching out to snatch at her feet. With one last burst of speed she shot across the remaining distance and into the shuttle, sprawling across the threshold in front of an astonished Hobbes. Every second she could hear the creaking and snapping of the creature's path of destruction as it closed the gap between them. Ignoring the screaming pain in her legs, she yanked herself to her feet and smacked the door control, pressing the lock override button so that the chameleon couldn't accidentally trigger it from outside. The thick metal door slid shut just as the shape shifter hauled itself inside the airlock and loomed up in the doorway. They both heard a roaring like tidal wave against the metal as it hurled itself at the hatch in its frenzy to get at them. The next moment she pressed the control for the outer lock. There was a groan of metal as the door resisted for a moment before grinding closed, severing the tail end of the shape shifter and trapping the bulk of the beast inside.

The two humans stared at each other as they listened to the creature throwing itself around inside the chamber, thrashing about in its fury to get out or to get in.

Lex fell to her knees panting, ripped off her mask. Hobbes was rooted to the chair, her expression set in a rictus of terror. Lex's face was alive. Her lips spread in a broad smile and her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "I did it!" She gasped "I did it! I did it, I did it!"

"Did what?" Hobbes croaked dazedly, she suddenly seemed to find her voice – and her temper "Did what?" She repeated "Trapped us like rats?!"

"No," Lex gasped "Now we've got a weapon!"

"A weapon?!" Hobbes was dumbfounded "Lex, we don't need a _weapon_ – we've got a _ship_ – we don't need to fight anyone! Let's just _go_!"

"Not yet, I've got something to do first!" Lex stood up suddenly, she seemed euphoric, almost drunk "But don't worry, you won't have to fight. Just trust me!"

"What are you talking about?" Hobbes glared at her, jiggling the complaining child against her shoulder "What are you planning, now you've trapped us in here with that… that … _thing?_ "

"Now we're ready!" Lex touched the controls, causing the shuttle's engines burst into life with a deafening roar and engaging the inbuilt cloaking device "We're going to war!"

* * *

Although the bunker looked quite small from the outside inside the claustrophobic, green-lit maze Scar and Surr'Kar were finding it difficult to keep from getting lost. Going was slow, because both Rough Skulls were so intent on moving as silently as possible. They kept doggedly on, systematically searching each new turning to find the cache of devices that was their primary target. There was also an additional pressure, in Scar's mind at least, on top of the need for concealment. Sooner or later, he reasoned, Khurshad's squad would reach their objective in the other bunker. Either that or one of them would be discovered before they reached it. When that happened, if they were able to, the unlucky warrior would detonate his explosive device taking out a huge swathe of forest within a fairly wide radius. He would not even have time to realise what was going on before they were utterly destroyed, blown apart into their component atoms. The thought was not comforting.

As they searched he kept his mind resolutely turned away from Lex and from his son – especially his son – knowing that if he allowed himself to become distracted it would mean his ultimate failure. The other reason he was desperate for that not to happen, if he had just been able to admit it, was that it also meant that he would die.

They saw few Bad Bloods luckily, only the odd one or two patrolling the corridors. Scar and Sur'Kar kept utterly still as they passed, knowing that despite the Bad Bloods inferior sense of smell – further dulled by the presence of a mask – any movement might still give them away. A noise, a breath, a flutter of disturbed atmosphere. The Bad Bloods might not be as clever as the Rough Skulls but they were still yautja and possessed hunters instincts, honed over generations of fierce competition and selective breeding.

Finally their patience was rewarded. As they rounded what seemed like the millionth corner in this bewildering warren of corridors they saw the open door at the end of it. Approaching stealthily, the sound of low voices, a mutter of conversation drifted from it and a deep, throbbing drone they could feel through the soles of their feet. Both hunters stopped dead in their tracks at the noise, poised as tense as cats in the dark. With the thermal vision on his mask, Scar could see indistinct figures inside the room, but not many. With redoubled caution they began to creep forward again. The low murmur got louder as they approached and took up station at the side of the door.

Hardly breathing, Scar craned his neck around the doorframe… and realised they'd struck lucky. Inside the room, rack upon rack of the devices hung in rows on the wall.

" _The soul eater take me!"_ Scar thought, his eyes wide as they travelled along the racks _"How many of these cursed things have they made? How long have they been at this?"_

He wondered what was causing the all-pervasive drone, and then realised uneasily that it was emanating from the devices. For some reason, a large number of them together seemed to resonate in a way they didn't individually. He didn't want to speculate as to why a large number of tiny black holes collected in close proximity might do that. The noise seemed to penetrate his skull and caused his tusks to rattle unpleasantly. His eye was drawn to movement and he saw tiny, feathery fingers of lightening crackling between them, like little thread veins hanging in the air for an instant.

To his satisfaction he noted that there were only two leeches in here on guard. They were the ones they'd heard speaking to one another. He ducked back behind the door-frame and nudged Sur'Kar, tapping him twice on the arm.

* * *

Since Sur'Karr had disappeared inside the sliding doors of the bunker, Vassir had been waiting impatiently for another squad to approach so that he could enter with them. To his disgust, it was some time before another living creature approached so he stayed there in the undergrowth, still and silent as his training had taught him, secretly fuming at having to stay here uselessly.

When he finally did see someone approach, it was only a small patrol – two males, obviously on guard duty together. Their lesser numbers meant that they might be more likely to notice his presence but Vassir had always been very proud of his ability to stalk and track silently. As the two leeches passed he fell in behind them, padding through the soft grass with barely a whisper, but the closer they got to the door, the more uneasy he became.

The leeches were silent, with none of the idle chatter that earlier patrols had exchanged. These two had only just come back from perimeter duty and they were on high alert, nerves sharpened.

He poured all his effort into being quiet, calming himself so that not even the thudding of an irregular heartbeat would betray his presence. His body entered an almost trance like state, so focussed was every nerve on concealment. The two Bad Bloods began mounting the steps to the bunker, as he stood followed them a discreet distance away.

Vassir watched as the lead Bad Blood held his wrist com to the recognition panel and the door opened. Vassir followed them in. As the door scraped shut at his heels, the hindmost Bad Blood paused for a second, as if distracted by the noise. Then it suddenly wheeled and leapt in his direction. Vassir was taken utterly by surprise, but his reflexes kicked in and he threw himself to one side, trying to evade the larger male's grasp. He rolled and came up fighting, drew a throwing blade and flung it at his attacker. His aim was good and it buried itself between the unlucky male's ribs. If the leech had been alone the fight would have ended there but, unfortunately for Vassir, the remaining guard decided to terminate the intruder with extreme prejudice. Reasoning that a barrage of fire would serve him better than a single throwing star, the surviving Bad Blood pulled an incendiary-grenade and threw it towards the spot the blade had come from. The bomb hit and burst in a shower of fire and debris as the leech dived for cover. Vassir turned from his falling enemy and as he did so he caught the full force of the blast in the shoulder and chest. He was thrown backwards against the door, bellowing in rage and agony as he was wreathed in flame. His flesh sizzled as he was coated in burning chemicals.

As the after-echoes died away, he opened eyes blurring with agony to see the Bad Blood standing over him. His whole body was one, huge, flaming beacon of pain, and his skin felt like it had been burned away. He wondered blearily why it could see him, then he realised. Water was pouring down out of the ceiling, hitting his raw, damaged flesh like white hot needles, as the fire from the grenade had set off the fire dampeners.

With a hiss of laboured breath he reached for his wristcom with a shaking hand, making one last supreme effort to detonate his bomb and destroy his attackers. In his agony he could barely find his own wrist let alone operate the controls with one eye a mess of pulped tissue. The Bad Blood came and stood over him, blotting out all light. In one fluid movement, it unsheathed its dah'kte and sheared off his arm. He heard the clunk and the squelch of gristle as the lump of flesh and metal that had been his hand hit the floor.

Vassir roared, more in rage than in pain. He was already in so much that the loss of a limb barely registered, a mere ripple in the flood. He began to struggle to rise, to spit defiance at the figure that now towered above him. The leech watched his struggles contemptuously for a few moments before it raised a huge arm, blades glinting in the flickering light of the dying flames as they were slowly quenched by the downpour.

* * *

Hobbes was trying not to not to think about the enraged shape-shifter trapped in the airlock but her anxiety was temporarily pushed aside by amazement as she watched the woman pilot the ship. She was stunned that Lex could operate the bizarre controls of this alien craft so expertly. She couldn't even begin to guess what the exotic symbols on the console meant.

"How the hell did you learn to do that?" She said, hardly daring to breathe. The view-screen showed the jungle falling away underneath them as the shuttle rose slowly and smoothly into the air.

The soldier was sitting in the co-pilot seat, holding Selim gingerly on her lap. The baby had been sleeping when Lex handed him over but at the noise of the engines he awoke and his yellow eyes focussed on the unfamiliar human face. Hobbes shifted uneasily as she was scrutinised with a disconcertingly intense stare.

"I wonder if he can actually see me," She murmured "He's only about a day old, his eyesight probably hasn't developed properly yet."

She held up a finger and began to move it slowly back and forth in front of the small, strange face. The slitted pupils followed every movement in fascination. Then the baby trilled and reached out suddenly, grabbing the moving target in his tiny claws.

She made an involuntary noise of surprise and then rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, feeling a little idiotic when she saw Lex glance over.

"Relax." Lex said, pulling at the steering column to bring up the nose of the shuttle "He can't hurt you - yet!"

"No, of course not." As the crinkly, unsteady fingers tightened around hers Hobbes couldn't help but smile. Despite the strangeness of his eyes, Selim was not so very different to how her two daughters had been as babies, although perhaps when they were a little older than he was now. She allowed the little hands to carry on gripping hers.

The baby clicked, letting go of her finger he stretched out a hand, flexing his tiny digits towards her "He's quite aware for such a little thing." She said curiously.

"Yeah, well I think he gets that from his father." Lex replied dryly "Scar told me their species need to grow up fast or they don't grow up at all!"

"What do you mean? Why?"

"They believe in encouraging competition early, you know – like survival of the fittest in action?" Lex made a wry face as she saw the soldier's horrified expression "Don't look at me like that, I didn't say I agreed with it! Selim isn't going to live like that."

"How can you be sure?" Hobbes said in exasperation "They're disgusting brutal …animals! And you're still prepared to risk all our lives to save him?"

Lex tapped a panel that brought up a rolling display of the planet's surface.

"Their camp is somewhere near here." She said, as if Hobbes hadn't spoken "You can see it on this schematic the Rough Skulls were using…"

"Lex, you aren't listening to me!" The medic said "You told me yourself these things are monsters. Let's just get out of here!"

"And you think humans are better?" Lex raised her eyebrows, but didn't look away from the screen. She reached over and pressed a few controls on the console. A flashing icon appeared, blinking redly in the bottom corner of the screen.

"What's that?" Hobbes asked nervously.

"The radio," Lex's eyes glinted in the crimson glare "I need to make a call."

Hobbes frowned and glanced over nervously at the airlock again as the gelatinous horror inside the airlock continued to hammer against the other side of the metal door.

* * *

Scar was edging closer to one of the guards, moving into a killing position, when a muffled impact shook the building around them. An explosion! He barely had time to think that it couldn't have been a Rough Skull wrist com detonating - or else he wouldn't still be standing here and neither would the bunker - when a green warning beacon began to flash in the ceiling and the fire dampers spluttered into life.

The whole room was deluged with water, he and everyone else in it was drenched. Scar didn't waste time, he knew that both he and his friend's cloaking device would crackle and die in a matter of seconds.

Silently he threw himself at the nearest Bad Blood, just hoping Sur'Kar would have sense enough to do the same.

He hit the leech straight in the throat with both wrist-blades, twisting them as they entered its flesh to maximise the damage. The larger male was taken completely by surprise. It staggered backwards, breath rasping and gurgling as its mouth filled with blood. He withdrew the blades and stabbed again, almost severing the leech's head as it raised its arms in a final effort to defend itself, too late.

As it hit the deck, he turned in time to see Sur'Kar struggling with the other guard. He'd managed to inflict some damage but his small size meant that once his gigantic opponent had a grip on him, there was little he could do.

Sur'Kar might not be his friend but he was a Rough Skull and Scar was not going to stand by and watch him get slaughtered by the enemy. He flung himself at the Bad Blood, barrelling into the other male and knocking him off and across the room. As they slithered across the metal floor with Scar on top, he plunged the dah'kte into its spinal column and felt the leech judder. By the time the pair slid to a stop the massive body underneath him was breathing its last. Its head thumped against the deck.

He rose up from where he was crouched over the body of the dead leech, the rhythm of the water on his metal helmet drumming a war beat in his ears.

He was already reaching for his cache of magnetic mines, all the time expecting the noise of footsteps in the corridor outside _"Let us do what we came here to do. Hurry!"_ He growled.

Quickly they planted a large number of the little blinking bombs around the room as they could. When they'd run out of explosives, he heard Sur'Kar say " _What now S'Kia?"_

To Scar, his team mate's voice almost seemed to be coming from inside his own head. They were in trouble. Now the alarms had sounded it was only a matter of time before more guards came. What Khurshad wanted him to do – what the plan called for – was for them to stay and detonate the bombs. That would be the best way to ensure the destruction of the devices, the shuttles and as many of the enemy as possible. There was only one problem… he didn't want to.

Earlier he'd been unable to think about anything except the burning desire to destroy the enemy clan. That desire was still there, but now he was here he found that survival held much more appeal. It was a terrible admission, but he didn't want to die. Shameful and cowardly though it might be he didn't care.

" _Now we get out of here!"_ He said to his startled team mate and turned to leave.

It was as if a fog was lifting from his mind allowing him to see everything clearly. There were other things he wanted to do, there were things that mattered to him more than the clan or his honour – whatever was left of that. Even if Lex had deserted him, she had been right he now realised.

Suddenly his coms fizzed. Why would any of the squad break coms silence?

"Scar! Where are you?! Answer me!"

He stopped in his tracks, his brain took a few moments to process what it was hearing. Then recognition smacked into him. The voice buzzing in his ear was human – and female.

" _Lexsss?_ " He said incredulously.

"Scar! You're alive!" Her voice gasped "Answer me – what is your position?"

" _Inside the enemy bunker nearest the perimeter."_ He said _"What is happening? You are not in trouble?"_

" _We are nearing the Bad Blood compound. We are just a few miles away –"_

Within only a few miles! Why was she taking such a needless risk?! _"Why are you still here?"_ He cut her off angrily _"You said you were going to take Selim away! This planet is not safe!"_

" _Now is not the time to argue idiot!"_ She snapped _"I am coming to save you!"_

He was infuriated. Nobody else could ever make him as angry as she did, all the more now when she was putting herself and his son in danger – bringing them both right into the line of fire. He was so angry, so intent on arguing with her that he didn't notice Sur'Kar silently moving up behind him.

" _Save me? I told you to save our son!"_ He snarled _"What is going on in that squishy soft meat head of yours? Just take him and go – right now!"_

He heard the quiet scrape of metal behind him and suddenly his spine tingled as some instinct bubbled up from his hind brain. He swung round unsheathing his da'khte and as he did Sur'Karr lunged. Scar caught him by the wrist and, unable to use his own blades, headbutted him – a quick savage jab to the forehead. Sur'Karr stumbled backwards but his mask protected him and he wasn't stunned. He brought his knee up hard into Scar's midriff and as Scar was knocked back, he flipped open his control panel and pressed the button to arm his plasma cannon.

" _If you fire on me you will bring the Leeches down on our position you moron!"_ Scar hissed.

" _What of it? You said yourself there is little chance of us walking out alive. Where is your courage S'Kia?"_ Sur'Karr said scornfully.

" _The humans are right about us, we are stupid."_ Scar said _"There is nothing courageous in a pointless death."_ His voice was level, but he didn't take his eyes off the plasma cannon for an instant. Sur'Karr had it trained on him but something about his stance told Scar that the attention of his duplicitous team mate was not entirely focussed on him. He was half-listening for the sounds of Bad Bloods in the corridor behind.

 _"You disgust me, you deviant!"_ Sur'Karr spat _"Even this is a more honourable death than you merit!"_

At that moment there was the noise of feet on metal in the corridor outside. Sur'Karr's head jerked to one side instinctively before he could stop himself. The momentary distraction was all that Scar needed, as his opponent's attention wavered he leapt at Sur'Karr, knocking his plasma cannon from his shoulder with one fist and swinging his other fist at the Rough Skull's gut, pressing his palm catch as he did so. His blades slid out smoothly and traced a path across the unprotected part of Sur'Karr's abdomen, between the armour plates. A thin arc of green blood sprayed into the metal-enclosed darkness of the corridor. Sur'Karr fell to his knees. Scar wheeled and grabbed the other male by his mane of plaits, yanking his head back. He felt nothing but calm as he struck at his betrayer's throat, cutting through flesh and sinew, severing the spinal column.

The body toppled gently to the ground. As he stood there holding the dripping head of his former ally Scar heard a noise and turned. Standing in the doorway staring at him, was a Bad Blood patrol.

Every cell in his body was resonating with the seductive blood song as he turned to face them.

* * *

The two women listened in dismay as the sounds of violence echoed around the cockpit, the clash of metal and snarls of rage tinnily filtered through the speaker. Lex leaned forward over the console as if by getting closer to the radio she could somehow influence what was happening. She couldn't hear Scar's voice. She knew he was usually silent whilst fighting but what they were hearing sounded like an ambush to her. Suddenly there was an ear-splitting crash of plasma fire. At the noise Lex leapt up out of the chair as if she'd been burned, clasping both hands on the console while her knuckles whitened. Then the signal cut out, leaving ominously dead air, broken only by the continuous thunk, thunk, thunk of the enraged horror trapped in the airlock. In the silence the noise seemed louder. It was incessant, maddening.

Lex stood for a few moments frantically pressing the coms button without success. Then she stared up at the view-screen in dismay. She'd been so engrossed in the transmission that she hadn't realised they'd overshot the camp. She began wrenching at the steering column as she tried to bring the craft around.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Hobbes said sharply, "You heard that, he's dead! It sounds like they're all dead!"

Lex didn't answer her. Instead she toggled the radio control button again, trying to hail Scar on the more powerful transmitter in his wristcom. There was no response. Either his coms were down, or he was too busy to answer or… she shook her head stubbornly. There was no way she could allow herself to believe what Hobbes had said.

"At least now we know where he is." She said through gritted teeth "He's inside the northernmost bunker."

"Yes! Getting torn apart!" Hobbes shouted, the constant thudding of the shapeshifter in the airlock was pushing her nerves to breaking point. "For God's sake can't you just admit he's gone and get us away?!"

Lex zeroed in on the camp. Hobbes tried to reason with her "So what are you going to do now? It looks like most of them are inside." She pointed to the knot of heat signals clustered inside the twin bunkers.

Lex blinked and wiped the sweat from her eyes. Hobbes had a point, only a few of the enemy were visible "You're right, my plan's not going to work properly unless they come out where we can see them." Hobbes was on the point of heaving a sigh of relief, when she realised Lex was turning the ship for another pass.

"What the hell are you doing?" She yelled as Lex brought the shuttle swinging round, engaging the craft's guns. As they came skimming down low over the compound she fired – strafing the whole length of the camp with plasma and aiming at anything she could see that moved. The place erupted in confusion. Figures scattered on the ground as the invisible shuttle rushed overhead. They couldn't see the ship but they could see the plasma fire coming from it tearing up the earth.

Still smiling savagely Lex hauled on the steering column, bringing the shuttle around again. "Oh my _God_!" Hobbes buried her face in her hands as they flew in low, trying to brace herself against the chair. Selim gave a warning trill as he was jolted in her arms.

Lex opened fire once again, but this time the barrage was met by answering fire from the ground. Clearly some of the Bad Bloods had had presence of mind enough to realise what was happening and try to mount a counter attack but Lex banked sharply to one side and luckily the ships superior cloaking system meant they weren't able to hit anything but sky. The glowing white tracers zipped harmlessly through the empty night air and the shuttle rushed past and once again they were over the forest. The thudding from the airlock intensified as the evasive action caused the craft to shake. Hobbes was rigid with terror. Between enemy fire from the ground and the vile, flesh eating horror within it was all she could do to keep it together.

Lex executed a sharp turn, bringing the shuttle around again, and switched the view-screen setting to thermal vision. "Lex," Hobbes urgently as the compound raced towards them at speed "I really don't think we should do that again. Because if you fire they'll see where we are and they might hit us this time!"

Lex didn't look over but the little smile was still on her face "We don't need to fire. Not _this_ time!" She said softly as Hobbes gripped the arms of the co-pilots chair "See, they're all coming outside to see what's making all the noise – perfect!"

Hobbes strained her eyes to look at the garish technicolour blobs on the screen. More were emerging from the bunker even as she watched.

Hobbes shrieked, reaching over to grab her arm "You're going to get us killed you crazy bitch!"

"GET OFF ME!" Lex pushed her back violently and pulled the controls up and to the side, slowing the shuttle's progress just a fraction and at the same time causing it to list over to the left. Hobbes gasped as she was thrown to one side in her chair. Only her safety harness kept her in place and she tightened her grip on Selim to prevent him being thrown from her arms. At the same time she saw Lex smack her palm down on the control for the airlock.

This time Hobbes did scream. For a second she thought Lex had gone mad. In her mind's eye she saw the mud-coloured monstrosity pouring into the cockpit, oozing over all three of them, consuming their flesh until there was nothing left but steaming bones. Instead the shuttle merely jerked slightly, surging upwards as it was relieved of its extra cargo. It took a few seconds for Hobbes to realise that the pounding from the airlock had mercifully ceased.

* * *

Scar tried to open both his eyes but the right side of his face was on fire with pain. His mask had been torn off and he'd taken a slice right across one eye. He told himself that at least he was still conscious and on his feet. It was rather inadequate consolation. He was backed into a corner, blood pouring down his arm where one of them had managed to get in a throwing blade. He lifted the arm experimentally, just slightly – trying not to let them see he was doing it. Pain shot through his shoulder, it wasn't working as well as he'd hoped. He'd managed to kill quite a few, the huge bodies of enemies lay at his feet – but not enough. He dared not take his one eye that still functioned off the hulking behemoth that loomed in front of him, blocking off his escape. Even if he could get past the giant, in the background other huge shadows waited. Behind him there was only blank metal wall.

" _This is the end for you, little worm!"_ The thing rasped, in a voice like an iron file dragging over the nerves.

Scar made no answer, just watched him. Silently he cursed his stupidity in getting cornered like this – worse – in ever coming here! There had just been too many. The giant in front of him gave a furious roar.

" _So you are the lizard scum who kills Bad Bloods,"_ It grated in its metallic leech voice, gesturing towards the wristbands he wore _"See this, all of you. He is wearing their skin."_ There were angry exclamations from the rest of the leeches.

" _Inferior creature – "_

" _It is an outrage – "_

The leech that blocked his path leaned forward and snarled _"How in the name of all the gods of the hunt do you darrrre treat our clan like prey beasts?"_

Scar regarded him for a moment. Then he smiled nastily _"I had to do something to keep myself amused, as you die so easily."_ He purred _"I would treat you with respect… if you merited any!"_

He wanted to keep them talking until he could find a way around them. He knew he had little chance of winning in this tight space with his now severely restricted vision " _I wonder if I have lost an eye."_ He thought. The side of his face was by turns hot and cold.

The other Bad Bloods were chittering with rage, trying to crowd closer. He held his ground, not wanting to get boxed in any more than he was already.

" _Kill him Kreekit!"_ Growled one of them _"Gut him!"_

" _NO!"_ Bellowed the giant _"He will not die so easily – I want him to suffer!"_

Scar allowed himself to feel a tiny twinge of hope. This Bad Blood might be a titan in terms of physical strength, but he was clearly a pygmy in terms of brainpower. _"Perhaps if I can make him angry enough he might make a mistake that will allow me to get past him!"_ He laughed aloud in his captor's face _"You think a moron like you can make me afraid?"_ His voice crackled with scorn _"You are not even yautja enough to face me alone!"_

" _If I could get him to face me one on one,"_ He thought _"Maybe I would have a chance. The others would still be in my way but at least he would be dead, that is one less!"_

The leech drew a short knife from his bandolier and held it up in front of Scar's face, turning it this way and that so that the greenish light reflected off the blade _"Very stupid words you little runt! I am about to teach you a lesson in pain!"_

" _You will teach me?"_ Scar snorted with derision _"A squad of leeches like you broke onto our ship thinking they could get the best of us – I captured one of you sub-creatures. He told me all about your plans."_

" _You lie!"_

" _How do you think we found out about your encampment here?"_ Scar sneered _"I skinned him alive and he broke. He begged for mercy like an infant before I dispatched him! Like all you leeches, you are good at killing children, pregnant females and the injured but not so brave when you meet someone who can fight back!"_

" _You filthy, stinking - "_

" _Why are you wasting time talking to this abomination Kreekit?"_ One of the smaller males hissed _"We should skin him now! He will soon shut his jaws!"_

The largest Bad Blood tensed, readying himself for the attack. Scar shifted his head from side to side, trying to think how he could keep them all in his severely limited field of vision _"Now it comes to it idiot!"_ He told himself _"Now everyone will see just how well you can fight with only one eye and one arm!"_

As if in answer, from outside the bunker there came another boom – louder this time – followed by the sounds of conflict. " _It is not Khurshad or any other Rough Skull bomb,"_ He thought _"Or we would not be still standing here."_

The Bad Bloods seemed shocked. The male nearest to him seemed especially agitated _"What in the hells is happening!"_ He bellowed.

" _It sounds like we are coming under attack from outside,"_ One of the smaller males rasped, he stood with his head on one side for a few moments as he listened to his visor coms. He was clearly unhappy with what he was hearing, shifting from foot-to-foot restlessly _"It is an enemy shuttle Kreekit!"_ He hissed urgently _"They are attacking the compound!"_

" _THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING HERE?"_ The giant bellowed _"GET OUT THERE AND SHOOT THEM DOWN!"_

As the noise of running feet died away the one called Kreekit turned back to him with a low, threatening trill of noise, hefting his knife in one hand.

" _Not going with them?"_ Scar smirked _"Too afraid to ... step outside?"_

" _You have spoken your last piece of insolence to me vermin."_ The giant extended his wristblades with a dull scrape _"I hope you enjoyed it!"_

* * *

U'Trikt felt the hot, sullen air torn apart as the unseen ship – for what else could it be – screamed overhead. He was already moving towards the grounded shuttles _"I will take a ship and shoot them out of the air if it costs me my life!"_ He thought.

He spun round as a spattering noise began behind him. There was a heavy shower – a deluge – pouring down out of the sky onto the dry ground and onto the guards in the compound.

" _The cursed rains have come at last,"_ He thought _"We will need to cover the cloaking devices when we take them to the shuttles so they are not damaged."_

Then suddenly, nonsensically, the warriors in the compound started writhing, screaming. He stared as they tore at themselves where the water had touched them, right before his incredulous eyes.

" _Poison rain?"_ He hissed, as an unfamiliar sensation entered his mind.

" _It does not even happen on this world!"_ Nagri croaked beside him.

" _What in the name of all the gods is going on?"_

Dumbfounded, they watched other Bad Bloods flailing desperately as the mud seemed to reach up for them, closing over them, pulling them down.

The murky tide rolled towards them, seeming almost part of the ground as it surged across the compound. It engulfed one fighter after another, gathering pace as it rolled along. As it rose up above them like a malignant lava flow, U'Trikt did something he could not remember ever doing before – he turned and ran….

* * *

Lex landed the shuttle a short distance away from the compound, ferns and other vegetation crunching flat under the crafts invisible weight as she touched down.

"You can't seriously be going out there!" Hobbes cried in exasperation.

"You'll be fine," Lex began strapping her cloaking device onto her back.

"You're just going to leave us here?" The soldier raged "With those things roaming around outside?"

"No I'm –"

"I can't believe you're going to do this!" Hobbes struggled to her feet, still clutching Selim to her chest "You're going to get totally annihiliated!"

"I know what I'm doing."

"Hell I may not know much about alien warfare tactics but there are hoardes of them and there's only one of you! Plus you're not recovered yet – "

"I'm fine." Lex's jaw was set.

"You're still losing blood aren't you?" A stubborn shake of the head "Don't lie to me, I delivered your baby, remember? And what about the ship, huh? What about us?"

"This shuttle has autopilot, I won't leave you here on the ground" Lex was battling to keep her voice calm "I've programmed it to circle the compound, a very wide circle – you'll be perfectly safe. After I'm gone you just need to press this icon," She indicted a symbol on the control panel "And the programme will initialize. Can you remember how to do that?"

"Yes but I – "

"And this is the door control panel. We can land the shuttle remotely when we get back. You shouldn't need to touch the controls," Lex thought for a moment, then continued "If you need to contact me just press this button here, is that clear?"

"And what if you don't come back?"

"I will." Lex gazed at her, black eyes pleading "Hobbes I'm begging you, try to understand. I have to save him, he's my baby's father. Selim's going to need him. I should never have let him go on this suicide mission in the first place!"

"What about your son, who's going to save him?" She asked, nodding her head down towards the baby in her arms "Who's going to save you?"

Lex sighed and she reached out to take Selim from Hobbes arms, cradling him against her "I love you Selim." She said and kissed the top of his head "I'm coming back and I'm bringing your father with me."

Handing the baby back to the other woman she pulled the heavy cloaking device onto her back. After a moments thought she pulled out her handheld plasma cannon and gave it to the soldier "You'd better have this," She said "It's got quite a kick for a small gun so be ready. You fire it by pressing the grip here." She indicated the trigger.

"What about you?" Hobbes asked.

"I have this," She said sticking a plasma gun that she'd salvaged from the dead Bad Bloods into her hip holster "And these." She pressed the palm catches on her dah'kte, extending and retracting them to test the mechanism. The noise of metal on metal echoed like a scream in the confines of the shuttle cockpit.

Hobbes shook her head in exasperation as Lex picked up her mask "It's going to be a slaughter." She said.

"Yes, it is." Lex said slotting the fearsome metal visor over her face and stepping to the airlock. The eyes glowered at the soldier mercilessly. "Hobbes," the apparition said, her voice hollow and strange sounding inside the mask. "Don't feel sorry for them!" And she disappeared into the hot darkness.

* * *

The down draft from the shuttles take-off whipped at Lex's hair as she ran through the jungle towards the compound. Behind her she heard the whirr of the engines receding into the distance as the craft took off.

"What are you doing you stupid, stupid woman?!" She thought as she pounded through the undergrowth towards the Bad Blood camp, trying not to think about what might happen if the autopilot went wrong or if she failed to come back...

The compound was like some medieval vision of damnation, quite a few Bad Bloods had been be directly under the shuttle when she dumped the shape shifter. It was like Dante's inferno made flesh; half-dissolved bodies littered the ground, flesh gradually melting away as the shape-shifter slowly consumed them. She stopped at the edge of the clearing, trying to get her bearings, reluctant to go any nearer the gelatinous creature and cast a worried eye across the writhing mass of ruined bodies in case she caught a glimpse of a Rough Skull mixed in amongst them. It was impossible to tell. Corpses fused together with those still living in one trembling, heaving pile.

"He's not out there," She told herself "He said he was in the bunker."

She spotted the forbidding structure nearest the perimeter. The door was gaping open, the metal scored by plasma fire – stray shots she assumed from the shuttle. She hadn't really taken careful aim when firing.

She shot another anxious glare at the shape-shifter. It seemed to be growing, pulsating in a slumberous, torpid kind of way. It was sated for now but she knew that at any moment it could snap back to alertness in a towering rage. She stepped out of the undergrowth cautiously onto the hard packed dirt. She might be invisible but somehow she doubted the chameleon's senses could be fooled so easily. It had no eyes – who knew by what senses it tracked its prey?

She gave it a wide berth, moving silently and cautiously across the clearing. She didn't want to make any sudden moves. At each step she fancied she could see the mound of slime quiver. Could it smell her? Feel her vibrations?

She quickened her pace, still stepping softly but faster now – all the time watching the shape-shifter. It wasn't her imagination; every move she made produced a little tremor in the multicoloured creature. The bulk of it had become a virulent green from absorbing the blood of so many hunters, but at each step a little wave of iridescence shimmered across its surface. She also noted that it had ceased its rapturous palpitations and had become ominously quiet – apart from when she moved. Lex became utterly still, all her senses screaming that the its attention was becoming ever more fixed on her. Maybe it knew her as its original quarry – the impudent prey that had antagonised and then imprisoned it. Or maybe it was just acting on animal instinct as it became aware of a new victim nearby.

She stood halfway between the cover of the buzzing clicking jungle and the darkness of the bunker doorway, not knowing what to do. She exerted every muscle in her body to be unmoving, to make herself even more invisible.

The invisible woman and the swollen sac of liquid malice faced each other in the hot, tingling air of the clearing. The surface of the chameleon rippled as it began to inch forward slowly towards her. Overhead, bruised purple clouds slowly inflated – ready to begin the planets rainy season. Painful brightness flickered in the corner of Lex's vision, illuminating the treetops in the next valley. "Lightening!" Her brain prompted "And after lightening comes - "

The next few things seemed to happen all in the space of a heartbeat. As the heavy atmosphere was split by a deep, rolling boom, Lex darted away towards the bunker door, praying the noise and vibration would cover her movements. The shape shifter reared up like a giant cobra, but it seemed confused. It lurched first one way and then the other, unable to decipher where the insolent prey had gone.

At the same moment Lex reached the bunker steps a group of Bad Bloods burst from the darkness. Her eyes widened in shock and she had to throw herself violently to one side to keep from running right into their arms.

She landed in the dust and rolled as heavy clawed feet pounded past her and rushed towards the chameleon "Thank God!" She thought as she pulled herself upright "I never thought I'd be so happy to see Bad Bloods!"

The shape-shifter lunged, finally able to decide where the troublesome lifeforms were. White light exploded around her as they opened fire on it. Some were taken at once, falling prey to the questing tendrils that twined about their wrists or ankles – drawing them into the mass.

The rest were trying to surround the creature, to contain it while at the same time keeping their distance, but their plasma weapons seemed to be as ineffectual against it as her own had been.

As the chameleon roared and surged forward, absorbing the first rank of defenders, a second battalion charged in to strengthen their ranks – nearly trampling her into pulp. Lex scrambled out of the way, half sliding in the dirt. Cursing, she snatched her plasma cannon from where it had fallen from her grasp, just missing being squashed under the full weight of a hunter's huge boot. Leaping to her feet she ran towards the bunker, trying to ignore the roaring and rending and terrible cries behind her.

On the threshold she hesitated for a moment "If the door closes after me I'll be trapped inside." She thought, frowning unhappily "I hope to God the mechanism got damaged or jammed!"

She edged her way up the stairs and, with once last nervous glance at the shape shifter, stepped into the dark.


	21. Chapter 21

The leech stuck the blade into the shoulder above Scar's injured arm again, the sliver of metal sliding into the space between the bones. Pain poured down from his shoulder in a burning torrent, all the way down his wrist and into his hand. He focussed his one working eye on the green warning light in the ceiling behind the leech's head and tried to let himself drift away for a moment; _"Look at the light, the way it reflects off the metal vent underneath, making a pattern of black and green stripes. First a black stripe, then a green stripe, black, green…."_ Strangely he found his mind focussing on Selim. The thought of Lex was not soothing, but his son... somehow even though he'd seen him for a few moments only he thought about his son's yellow eyes and felt calm.

After a second or two the pain ceased to be excruciating and became merely agonising _"At least I can feel that arm, so it has not been cut off!"_

He steeled himself as the leech drew the knife out and slid it in again, shallower this time, just under the surface of the flesh on his shoulder. More pain, this time rippling through his shoulder and up his neck. Spears of it seemed to pierce right through into his skull. He shut his working eye and in the stillness inside his head Selim's eyes grew until they were the size of the sun, bathing him in warm golden light.

Worried he was about to lose consciousness, he forced his eye open to look at the face of the leech called Kreekit. It had taken off its mask to fight him, its red little eyes glistened with hatred.

Scar knew he was about to die – he was injured and weak and very soon this whole place was going to be wiped off the map by an explosion big enough to take out a square mile of jungle or two. Somehow it didn't really seem all that significant. _"Ridiculous, that I ever thought this was important."_ He thought, oddly serene _"My offspring lives! What does anything else matter?"_

He erupted into laughter right in the Bad Blood's face, a laugh that was part defiance and part oxygen starved-hysteria. It had an unexpected effect. Infuriated, the leech stopped cutting him and lifted him by the throat. The air was driven out of his body as his attacker threw him across the hallway and slammed his head against the wall. _"At least he has stopped using the knife on me!"_ Scar thought woozily, _"As long as he keeps hitting me, he is not skinning me!"_

The thought made him laugh again, his breath rasping as he struggled to suck air into his lungs _"I thought you were going to teach me about pain!"_ He hissed in between gasps _"So far the only discomfort I feel is shame on your behalf that you are such a poor teacher!"_

The giant roared and hit him in the forehead with its fist and the room swam away into blackness for a few moments.

" _Wake up."_ Said a voice somewhere above him. Scar came back online to find the leech had him pinned to the floor and was kneeling atop him, fist upraised _"Wake up you pathetic little maggot!"_ It rumbled in his face _"I do not want you to miss any of this. I want you to fully experience every moment of suffering before I finally exterminate you."_

" _Are you going to kill me or mount me, or can you not choose?"_ Scar grinned crazily up into his opponents already ugly features as they twisted into a rictus of disgust. The room was swirling around him now, as it had done when he'd been intoxicated with liquor. He felt strange, high, almost elated _"What are you waiting for?"_ He growled _"Worried that your tiny weapon is too small to make me suffer properly?"_

" _Shut up you lunatic!"_ The giant roared, almost incoherent with fury _"Shut your filthy – grguh!"_ It raised its knife hand and then froze suddenly. Its expression changed from one of outraged revulsion to one of outraged puzzlement. No sound escaped its jaws but a sudden stream of green blood spurted out instead.

Scar watched with detached interest as a fat emerald drop splattered onto the leech's barrel chest and streaked down its stomach. Kreekit raised his hands slowly to his neck, touching his fingers incredulously to three unseen blades protruding from his ruined throat, visible only because his blood was on them.

The blades were withdrawn and reappeared, jutting from the leeches gaping jaws. A froth of bloody foam bubbled up as Kreekit began to spasm violently. Then just as suddenly the blades disappeared and the Bad Blood fell to one side, pushed by an unseen hand to convulse and gasp his last face down on the floor. Scar lay with the green emergency lighting now shining full in his face without his enemy to block it out. In the unforgiving glare a shape coalesced out of nothingness, like smoke coming together, solidifying. In his blurry vision, green blood mixed with green light to make an eerie, glowing corona around her face. She gazed down at him, surrounded by a halo of green and black fire promising deliverance… or destruction.

Scar blinked his one good eye. _"If it is not the black eyed, soul-eating, bitch goddess herself, come to collect me in person,"_ He hissed _"You are shorter than I imagined you …"_

* * *

Khurshad planted the last of his explosives and looked around. There had been a moment back there when he'd thought he might have to actually detonate his own bomb but luckily, that commotion or explosion – whatever it was – had drawn all the enemy outside, leaving him and Rika and Rathik to plant their bombs undisturbed. He could only hope that the noise was caused by S'Kia finally getting what was coming to him. He'd given Vassir and Sur'Karr clear orders that the degenerate was not to leave that bunker alive. Surely he wouldn't be able to survive two Rough Skull assassins _and_ a whole camp full of Bad Bloods.

No need to stay any longer now that the task was done. Time to get back to the shuttle. They made their way along the dark corridors completely unchallenged, the other two following him silently. As they reached the entrance he consulted his wrist com to bring the craft around to come and pick them up.

He looked at the display for a moment and clicked in surprise. The ship was not at the grid reference where he'd left it. It was already airborne, orbiting the Bad Blood compound. How in the name of the gods…?

He growled. S'Kia and the ooman witch would have something to do with this, he felt it in his marrow. Now his primary task was as good as done he could turn his murderous attention to some equally deserving targets – the soft meat concubine and her abhorrent offspring; a _hybrid,_ a profane blot on the face of creation. The very thought of it was an insult to everything he held sacred. If the other clans found out about such a shameful atrocity… well he'd soon put an end to it.

He touched the controls of his sat com to bring the shuttle off autopilot and bring it around to land.

" _Squad leader?"_ He turned irritably to find Rika at his shoulder _"What is going on out there? It sounds like a battle."_

He'd been so preoccupied, it hadn't even occurred to him to wonder about what was causing the commotion. Surely Sur'karr and Vassir hadn't detonated their explosives already? _"They had better not,"_ He thought angrily _"The incompetents! Can they not perform even the simplest task?"_

Without answering Rika he went to one side of the large door that was the only entrance and exit from the bunker and motioned to the other two to go to the opposite side. Although it was impossible to unlock it from the outside unless you had the correct sat-com clearance from inside the door was operated by a simple switch.

He touched the control panel and the doors slid open to reveal a war-zone, steaming corpses littered the ground. The three Rough Skulls stared in amazement for a few moments.

" _What… has happened to them?"_ Rathik said slowly.

" _Did the other three do this?"_ Rika sounded puzzled.

Khurshad frowned inside his mask and tried to raise Sur'Karr and Vassir on the mask's intercom. Dead air, he could get no response.

" _You two, juvenile females!"_ He barked _"Do not stand with your jaws hanging open, the Bad Bloods are dead, that is all that matters. Let us leave and then trigger our explosives remotely."_

" _What about S'Kia and the others?"_ Rika asked _"If we are leaving…?"_ He left the unspoken question hanging in the air.

Khurshad was about to tear into him when a movement caught his eye, some of the Bad Blood's he'd thought were just corpses seemed to be still moving.

" _Some of the leeches are alive!"_ Rathik said in surprise.

" _Then go and dispatch them!"_ Khurshad snarled _"Do I have to tell you how to win a war?"_

Rathik grunted in what might have been annoyance, unsheathed his wrist blades and stalked over to the bodies that seemed to be feebly struggling. Then something strange and horrible happened, the bodies that had seemed to be writhing in agony stilled. As he looked at them more closely he realised that they couldn't possibly be alive. Flesh was sloughing away and melting into fibrous muscle tissue and bone, the whole seemingly covered in a shiny coating of translucent slime. Then, as Rathik bent down to inspect the charnel pile more closely a phalanx of soft but horribly strong tentacles whipped out and seized him around the shoulder, arm and throat. Rathik didn't even have time to cry out as he was pulled face first into the scalding pile.

Khurshad and Rika watched in astonishment as he disappeared with barely a struggle into the mass of dissolving corpses.

" _It is a shape shifter!"_ Rika yelped _"What is it doing here?"_

" _Quiet you fool!"_ Khurshad hissed. He had already thought that while the creature was eating Rathik, as it surely was already, he could get past it and get to the shuttle.

He started to move slowly and quietly across the other side of the compound. Thunder still boomed away over the mountains but in the quiet between he could hear the distant roar of the shuttle's engines. It would be here soon. He risked a look down at his wrist com, only a moment or two before it was here. Then he could get off this cursed rock and attend to that other business.

He glanced behind to see that Rika was following him stealthily. He frowned; he didn't really want his interference either. In fact he was starting to regret sending Rathik to look at the shape shifter instead of Rika. _"He is associated with the Abomination, I do not want him back on my ship or in my clan."_ It occurred to him that this was the perfect opportunity to rid himself of the taint once and for all.

As they reached the edge of the compound, Khurshad touched a button and saw the white hot light of the shuttles exhausts as it came to hover above them. It began to descend, condensation dripping from its sides as the metal – chilled by the upper atmosphere – came into contact with the hotter air rising from the forest floor.

As it sank slowly down, he suddenly heard Bad Blood voices from over by the bunkers.

* * *

Lex fought to hide her dismay as she looked down at him. It was hard to tell just how badly injured he was under all that gore. And he sounded delirious, talking nonsense about some goddess.

"S'Kia!" She said "Don't you recognise me?"

" _Lexxsss!"_ He gave her a dazed grin _"I thought the view was somewhat improved. Either that or I am hallucinating…."_

"Oh, you stupid son-of-a-bitch." She crouched down beside him "You're a mess!"

As she bent nearer, to get a closer look at his injuries, he leered at her as only a creature with four jaws can leer. Then he said in the manner of the severely concussed _"Do not think this means I will not punish you later for your disobedience!"_

" _Stop being a moron, we do not have time!"_ She said urgently _"How badly are you hurt? Can you walk?"_

" _And you are insolent for an hallucination._ _I know I must be hallucinating, because I told you to leave and take our son away from here and I do not believe even you would really be so stupid –"_

 _"Be silent!"_ Lex clamped a hand over his jaws, shutting him up. She ran the other hand over his blood covered shoulder, trying to assess the seriousness of the damage. She could tell just by looking that it had been dislocated. His right eye was hidden under a mass of gore and swelling. It might be gone or it might just be swollen shut, she didn't want to touch it. Instead she laid her hand on the uninjured side of his jaw.

" _Despite your insubordination it is good you arrived when you did,"_ He said screwing up his good eye " _He was beginning to bore me."_ He was obviously slap-happy from all the blows to the head. She just had to hope he would be able to snap out of it. She'd been so angry with him and now he was so badly hurt, all the anger was gone. She wanted to cry, but she didn't, knowing she must harden her heart if she wanted him to get up.

She took a deep breath and adopted the tone she knew would work best on him _"Cease this idiocy! We have to go."_ He drew breath to speak but she clamped her fingers tighter on his jaws to shut them together _"First I am going to have to do something about your arm so do not whine!"_

She grasped the bicep of his dislocated arm. Years of climbing and ice-trekking had left her well-versed in first aid. There was always the possibility of serious injury on an expedition and the nearest hospital was often several days walk (or climb) away. As a result she'd set and splinted broken limbs countless times before and saved at least one man from bleeding to death after an unfortunate mishap with an ice axe.

She felt his shoulder as gently as she could. He didn't betray any signs of pain as she touched it, but she knew that meant nothing. Yautja prided themselves on not complaining even when subjected to the most appalling suffering. His musculature was more or less the same as a human, she'd just have to pray that her first aid training would hold true for him too. She gripped and bent his elbow at the right angle and then twisted firmly until she felt the joint roll into place with a sickening pop. He didn't make any noise but his good eye rolled up for a moment and he passed out. She jerked forward as he became a dead weight, so heavy she nearly cried out as he all but crushed her legs. Then his eyelid flickered open and the pupil contracted, then expanded as it focussed on her face.

" _Now I am aroused!"_ He slurred _"Do it again you teasing little harlot."_

" _I doubt you are in any condition to do anything about it Bonehead!"_ She said harshly _"Now get on your feet!"_

" _I have always liked your wicked tongue,"_ He said indistinctly, his head rolling to one side again _"Why do you not put it to a better use than berating me_?"

" _Stop talking nonsense and stand up!"_ She yelled.

" _I do not know if I can."_ He mumbled.

Lex felt a cold dread creeping up from her stomach into her throat. If he couldn't get up, there was no way she could get him out of here. She composed her face into an expression of icey rage.

" _I thought the father of my son was a warrior, not a snivelling little child!"_ She said in tones of blistering scorn _"Now stop whimpering and get on your feet!"_

His one working his eye flared and his jaws spread in a snarl. She watched as he visibly pulled himself back together. Painfully he shifted his weight, pushing himself up onto his good arm. Slowly he unfolded himself, shoving away her attempts to help him and leaning heavily on the wall, until he was standing upright. As they made their way down the metal corridor, stepping over the bodies that littered the floor, he looked down at her _"So... I was right then."_

 _"Right about what?"_

Something like his old self-satisfied smirk crept over his features _"I knew you could not live without me, did I not say you could never leave me behind?"_

" _You should be grateful I came back at all."_ She kept her tone strict, commanding. On the plus side he was moving, he still had to stop periodically to lean against the wall but at least he was awake and lucid.

" _Khurshad would laugh himself sick,"_ He drawled _"Being rescued by a female, ordered around by a human; A sure sign of utter moral degeneracy."_

" _I would have thought there was plenty of evidence of that already!"_ She said archly, bending to snatch up his mask from where it lay cracked and discarded in a pool of blood.

" _Where is Selim?"_

" _On the shuttle, orbiting a wide circle of the jungle,"_ She said quietly _"Scar we have to get back to him!"_

He clicked his agreement and walked painfully to where Sur'Karr's headless body lay, buried beneath a colossal Bad Blood. He pulled a slack arm free and flipped open his former team mate's wrist-com, tapping the controls with the end of one talon _"At least you were of some use to me Sur'Karr."_ He muttered and slid another control on the panel until she heard the unmistakable, rhythmic bleep of a countdown.

" _I have set it to give us enough time to get out. One unit."_

She nodded, swallowing hard, as she watched him slotting his mask into place with one hand. They began to make their way as quickly as they could towards the exit. Then the coms in her mask crackled into life.

"Lex!"It was Hobbes's voice. She did not sound happy "Lex! Are you doing this?"

"Say again Hobbes" She frowned, not comprehending "What's happening?"

"The shuttle's going down Lex!" Hobbes said.

"What?!" She felt Scar go rigid next to her and knew he could hear Hobbes too inside his mask. She'd forgotten to close the coms link with him when they'd spoken before "Are you hit? Has the shuttle been damaged? Is Selim ok?"

"We're not hit! I didn't hear any shots and I didn't touch the controls I swear!" Wailed the medic "Selim's fine, but we're definitely going down. The treetops are getting closer – I think we're landing! Where are you Lex?" They could hear the baby crying in the background.

She turned to Scar _"Could it be the Bad Bloods bringing the shuttle down to land?"_ She asked anxiously.

" _Nothing is impossible but I thought Halkrath had made it so that their sat coms would be blocked from its control centre,"_ Scar said. He seemed to have totally come out of whatever delirium had been affecting him. Hobbes' words had brought him back to reality like a bucket of iced water _"Only Rough Skulls should be able to…."_ He tailed off as an unpleasant thought occurred to both of them.

"Hobbes, listen to me," Lex said urgently "Get into one of the sleeping chambers and lock yourself in."

"What?" Said Hobbes "Lex, I don't know – "

" _Hobbes_! Just listen!" Lex said savagely as they hurried towards the door, they had nearly reached the entrance "You've got to take Selim and hide. The small chambers at the back. If you look at the door control panel inside there's button marked with an icon, looks like a sort of lightening strike with a line under it. That's the lock. Get inside and push that button and don't make any noise no matter what you hear."

"And get yourrrrself… a weapon!" Scar said in English.

"Yes!" Said Lex "The plasma gun I gave you, Hobbes! Keep it with you!"

"Lex!" Hobbes said in a panicky voice "I don't understand, what's going on?"

"Enemies are going to board you, but you have to stay calm. We're coming as fast as we can!" She said trying to keep calm herself. "Just hide! Do it now!"

Then the ground shook a little, reverberating from a noise happening somewhere outside. As they reached the main door, Lex was dismayed to see it was closed but Scar smacked a palm on the door control and the damaged metal whirred haltingly open to a gap just large enough to admit a body. Through the opening they could see the shuttle, now touched down and accessible just inside a depression at the tree line of the clearing.

"You've got to be joking!" Lex said.

Between them and it was the shape shifter and between them and the shape shifter… some newly arrived enemy reinforcements.

" _You will know when I am joking,"_ He said darkly _"It will be funny."_

* * *

Khurshad swung round to face the new threat from across the compound. The Bad Bloods hadn't spotted them yet, they were too busy attacking the chameleon, but if they managed to vanquish it they would soon turn their attention to him.

At least for the moment they would keep each other busy. He shrugged and started to make a break for the shuttle. Then he saw the sudden movement coupled with the barrage of plasma fire the Bad Bloods were directing at the carnivorous blob was driving it towards him and Rika.

Khurshad grunted in surprise but he didn't slow down. He merely pulled a set of bolas from his belt and turned, throwing it behind him straight at Rika. The weighted ropes tangled around the smaller males legs and he went down heavily, rolling over and over in the dust.

Khurshad didn't look back to see what happened to him but sprinted on to the shuttle, pressing the control on his wrist com to open the door as he ran.

* * *

Scar and Lex looked at each other, for once there was no argument.

" _We will have to make a run for it."_ She said.

He nodded _"Activate your cloaking device. You will stand a better chance of getting past them undetected."_

" _What about you?"_ He tried but his camouflage unit was still glitching and fizzing from being soaked under the sprinklers.

" _I can manage without it."_ He dropped it on the floor. No need for any unnecessary weight pulling him back.

" _Be careful S'Kia, I mean it."_ She said, her eyes wide _"We need you to stay alive!"_

He looked down at her _"And you, miniature goddess of destruction, run fast and show no mercy. If indeed you possess any!"_

She looked up at him anxiously for a moment, then pushing her mask back onto her face she disappeared like a mirage. He felt the movement in the air as she darted through the space between the doors and ran.

He squeezed himself through the gap after her and began to run as well. He could see small tell-tale sprays of red dust raised by her feet as she sprinted away in front of him. Normally he could outdistance her but in his injured state she was outstripping him. He pushed himself to go faster, hoping the Bad Bloods would be too busy dealing with the shape shifter to bother with him. _"With any luck we can slip past unnoticed rather than having to waste time and energy in fighting. We have to get to the shuttle before something terrible happens to Selim!"_

The leeches were ranged around the chameleon in a circle, trying to hold it at bay with burners, a sort of small flame-thrower. The thing shrank back sullenly. It was hugely swollen after its gluttonous eating binge but it was wary of the fire and not hungry enough to try attacking again yet.

Scar thought he'd better give the burners a wide berth too _"Once they notice a Rough Skull still alive they will certainly try and use them on me and I can well do without being cooked alive today!"_ He sheathed his dah'kte as he ran, they were no use against these weapons – he needed something with a little more reach.

He spotted what he was looking for amongst the discarded weapons of the dead and without even breaking stride stooped to snatch up a long handled combi-spear from where it had been let drop by a fallen enemy. He was still only halfway across the compound. Feeling the battered muscles and tendons in his legs complaining, he forced himself to ignore the pain. The soul eater alone knew what a Bad Blood or worse, Khurshad, would do to Selim if he ever managed to get hold of him _"If he does not already know what Selim is, e_ _ven a halfwit like Khurshad will need only two attempts to guess at most!"_ He didn't even want to think about what would happen then.

He saw the Lex's footsteps in the dust up ahead as she skirted around the leech nearest to them and ran on. He followed the path she had taken but as he neared the Bad Blood it turned and caught sight of him racing towards it and suddenly lost interest in the sulking shape shifter to focus on a more interesting target. It was swinging the soot blackened barrel of the burner around to face him. Scar cursed inwardly but it was too late to avoid him now _"The fastest way to the shuttle is through this hulking dung heap, unlucky for him!"_

As the behemoth opened fire he swerved to one side and sprang at the giant, over the licking flames. Lunging with the spear, he stabbed down with all his strength, thrusting it right into the gap in the Bad Blood's armour plating between its neck and shoulder. There was a gristly crunch as the point burst through about two foot of muscle and bone and tissue. The attacker's burner sputtered and died as the hand holding it went limp and Scar used his grip on the spear to carry him on over the leech's head like a pole vaulter. His injured arm was on fire with pain but luckily didn't seem about to come out of its socket again. He landed on the clear ground beyond and ran on towards the shuttle, leaving the spear embedded in his rapidly collapsing victim.

He heard bellows of rage from the other Bad Bloods behind him as they realised what had happened, but a quick backward glance told him he didn't need to worry about them. The quivering mass of the chameleon had scented blood and now it heaved its gruesome bulk in between him and his enemies as it feasted on their fallen comrade, cutting off their pursuit.

He looked ahead. He was still some distance away but in the time it had taken him to dispatch the Bad Blood, Lex must have reached the airlock. Then he heard a noise that made his blood freeze in horror – the whirr of the turbines. The ships engines had started.

Then Lex's voice in his ear "Scar I'm at the shuttle! I can't get in! For God's sake open the door!"

He tried to use the sat com control to kill the engine but whoever was on board must be in the cockpit. As long as they hadn't triggered the universal lock override he could use the sat com to open the hatch from outside but no outside controller could overrule flight control commands made by a pilot flying the shuttle manually from the cockpit. Lex's sat com wouldn't work because she was not a member of the squad authorised to be on that shuttle. He was, but he didn't want her facing whatever was in there alone – better to bring the shuttle down again if he could. He tried again to ease down the engines but still the turbines roar continued to grow louder and still, _still_ , he was not close enough.

"Scar, please!" She all but screamed, panic in her voice now "Open the door! I have to get inside!"

No help for it then, he tapped the control and saw the hatchway open and close again. She must have jumped on board. As he redoubled his efforts to reach it, the ship started to rise slowly into the air.

He wasn't going to make it.

* * *

The moment Khurshad stepped on board the captured ship he knew something was not as it should be. He touched the control that closed the airlock behind him and padded down the corridor to the ships main cockpit. The fact that it was empty did nothing to allay his suspicions. How _had_ the shuttle come to be in the air when it should have been where he left it, sitting atop that ridge?

He _knew_ S'Kia and the ooman had something to do with it. Vassir had said she was here on Hirai. That the degenerate had gone off with her, taken her somewhere to birth their despicable spawn he had no doubt.

He couldn't see any trace of an unauthorised entry but still…. He touched the controls that initialised the engines and heard the turbines whirr into life. Sitting in the pilot seat he pulled off his mask. He sat there for a few moments drumming his talons on the metal console; then his eyes narrowed. S'Kia had not been here recently but there had been an ooman female here, perhaps more than one. He could smell them, the cockpit was lousy with the stink of them… and something else he couldn't identify, neither yautja nor ooman. In fact – he breathed in – the scent was strong enough to make him think that one of them at least had been here very recently indeed…

He stood up with a growl, was that insidious soft-meat slut here? Had S'Kia really been incautious enough to hide her on this ship? He hoped so. He really did. That would make his revenge against the Abomination perfect and complete.

Almost as an afterthought he reached down and tapped the universal airlock override control, he didn't want the devious little bitch to escape.

He followed the scent trail to the back of the ship, towards the sleeping quarters and the medipod. She must be skulking in there with her half-breed progeny, he knew it! Unsheathing his wrist blades he strode to the row of doors that marked the entrances to the sleeping quarters. There was no way of knowing which one she was behind but he knew she must be in one of them, the ooman smell was very strong back here. He pressed the control panel on the nearest one. It slid open smoothly to reveal a dark interior. He ducked in briefly, glanced all round the room – empty.

He opened the door of the second pod and found it likewise unoccupied and the third. By the time he came to the fourth, he was grinning broadly.

" _So this is where you are hiding, ooman witch!"_ He said _"I told you that I would cut out your evil infection -"_

He broke off mid gloat as he was struck from behind by a throwing knife, the blade hitting the back of his leg with a fleshy thud and embedding itself deep in the muscle just behind his knee. With a bellow of rage he swung around to face where it had come from and saw the ooman female crackle into view standing a few feet away, masked and armed.

" _Let us start cutting right now._ " She said

* * *

Scar reached the edge of the slope, loose red dust billowing in clouds all around him, whipped up by the shuttles take-off. The ship was already ten feet in the air. The elevation of the ground meant it was about level with him though still about thirty feet or so away. Without slowing down and using the momentum from his headlong dash he leapt, straining every muscle he possessed to clear the distance. He hit the shuttle hard, grabbing hold of it with arms outspread but driving the air out of his lungs in the process as the edge of the wing struck him in the midriff. The ice still left on the ships' armoured shell from the cold above the clouds of Hirai made his talons slip and slither as he tried to find a handhold. For a few seconds it was all he could do to hang on desperately, spots flashing across his vision. Then as he got his breath back he unsheathed his dah'kte and plunged one set into the metal to anchor himself more firmly to the side. With his free hand he flipped open the satcom on his wrist and tried the door control but it did not respond. Whoever was in there must now have used the lock override.

He cursed vehemently again, he had to get inside! Selim and Lex were sealed in there with an enemy. Worse, sealed in with Khurshad, he was sure of it! Not to mention that once the shuttle started moving up through the atmosphere, he was going to freeze and then, if he lasted that long, asphyxiate to death.

He moved along the wing until he was crouching atop the main body of the shuttle and pounded on the roof of the ship using his blades. Showers of sparks sprayed over him as he hammered the dah'kte against it, but he knew it was futile. Yautja craft were tough, built for warfare and deep space travel. He could drive the blades through the first, even maybe the second layer of armour plating, but it would take more than one puny set of blades to penetrate the shuttle's armour all the way through. Nor was it likely his plasma caster would be powerful enough to do the job. Even if he'd had any explosives left he didn't want to blow a hole in the hull if he could avoid it; that would endanger Selim.

He stopped and thought for a moment. The obvious solution was for Lex to open the airlock, he thought about using the satcom to hail her but again he hesitated. He didn't know what was going on inside the shuttle. She was trapped in close confines with Khurshad, her life and Selim's life might depend on her remaining undetected. If he started transmitting via the shuttle console he would definitely alert Khurshad to her presence. He just hoped that she'd realise what he needed her to do. In the meantime, he decided to climb down to the airlock. Maybe he could think of a way to trigger the mechanism or try to shoot it out. The inner lock must be sealed so that would not put Selim or Lex at risk.

He looked down at the shrinking Bad Blood compound and checked the countdown on his wristcom, scowling.

" _Hrmmmm, if this shuttle does not start moving a lot faster very soon, all of this will cease to be my problem."_ He thought _"Or the problem of anybody within a ten or fifteen click blast radius."_


	22. Chapter 22

" _S'valit'ka! {trans: slut}"_ Khurshad was almost drooling with rage as he awkwardly pulled the knife from the back of his leg _"I might have known you would only know how to fight with cowardly tricks, a loathsome, soft-meat concubine like you."_

Lex smiled, she wanted him to be angry. The more he fixated on her, the more he forgot about Selim... and she knew how to get under Khurshad's skin. A whole week of watching Scar bait the older hunter mercilessly had shown her just how to flip his switches.

" _You do not like females, do you Khurshad?"_ She said slowly and deliberately, so he'd be sure to understand _"S'Kia told me that you prefer the intimate company of other males."_

Just the mention of Scar's name was enough to bring Khurshad's temper to the boil right away, let alone the insinuation _"You and that deviant think everybody else is as depraved as you are!"_ He bellowed _"I knew his association with you was unnatural, but I never thought even he was so enslaved to your evil will as to spawn a blasphemous half-blood brat on you!"_

She began to edge backwards, willing him to follow her – into the cockpit and away from the sleeping pods. Away from Selim. Her hand hovered for a moment over the button on her arm that activated the cloaking device but she thought better of it. She wanted him to be able to see her, to have a focus for his hatred.

" _You are entirely correct Khurshad,"_ She said with a sly grin _"S'Kia is my slave, I can make him do whatever I wish! Are you not afraid I will do the same to you? Maybe I will keep you as my slave too. I am sure there are some menial tasks even you could be trained to perform –"_

In answer he roared like a maddened bull and charged at her, jaws gaping. He was slower now she'd effectively hamstrung him (If only she could have just shot him! But she couldn't risk using the plasma cannon inside the shuttle, especially not so near the sleeping pods where Selim was hidden).

She skipped backwards towards the cockpit fast enough to keep out of his reach but slow enough to keep him coming. She had to get to the console because she was uncomfortably aware that sometime soon Sur'Karr's bomb was going to go off, detonating all the other explosives and a sizeable chunk of the planet's surface with it.

"Where is Scar?" She thought desperately "I can't hold Khurshad off on my own forever and if he doesn't get on this shuttle he'll be vaporised! Maybe I should have gone to the cockpit first and let him in, but I had to to get that vicious bastard away from my baby!"

As she dashed to the console she saw on the view screen that they were still rising slowly into the air, still only about ten feet up. There was a dull metallic thud and she felt the ship lurch slightly as something heavy hit them from outside. Then she heard more noise, banging and battering against the roof. She suddenly felt a tiny surge of hope; she could guess what it was.

She was about to hit the button to open the airlock when Khurshad loomed up behind her. He'd got here a lot quicker than she'd been expecting and she was forced to leap aside as he made a grab for her. She spun away out of arms reach and wheeled round so she could watch him. Though he was dragging his wounded leg she knew she couldn't afford to underestimate him, if he managed to get a grip on her it would all be over.

They faced each other across the cockpit, all the time the shuttle continued its ascent. She wanted desperately to get at the console again but he was squarely in front of it. She made a feint to the left, tried to come back the other side to get past him and he spread his huge arms to block her path. She tried again to dart forward but he made a grab for her and just narrowly missed, claws snatching at the empty air where she'd been seconds before.

It occurred to her that she had danced this same dance with Scar many times in the gymnasium – the same cat and mouse game of pursuit and evasion – except this time it was real. "If he wasn't injured I wouldn't stand a chance in this confined space." She thought "I've just got to keep out of his reach until I can figure out a way to let Scar in."

She also noticed he still held her thin throwing knife in one blood-slicked hand; she didn't want to give him the chance to use it. "Time to even the odds." She thought and reactivated her cloaking device.

Khurshad's face registered momentary surprise as she disappeared and then a grin overspread his features _"I smell your fear ooman slut,"_ He said slowly, turning his head from one side to the other and she knew he was trying to sniff out where she was in the room. Scar had boasted to her many times about the Rough Skulls superior sense of smell _"Now that the Abomination is dead there is nobody to protect you from me!"_

Lex said nothing. She was trying to work out how she could get past him to the console and elude his long reach at the same time when the ship lurched again, this time because it had started to accelerate. Glancing up, she saw the planets terrain start to roll away underneath them. "He must have programmed in a destination," She thought "At least we're getting further away from the compound – but Scar's still trapped outside!"

* * *

Scar drove the second set of wrist blades into the armour plating outside the airlock when he suddenly felt the ship surge forward. As the jungle beneath him flew by faster and faster, he gripped so hard his talons made dents in the metal. Lex still hadn't opened the airlock which was not a good sign; something must be preventing her.

G-forces sucked hungrily at him as the ship climbed higher and the jungle started to fall away. Curling the talons of the hand on his good arm around the outer wheel of the airlock, he drew his plasma cannon with the other hand. His injured shoulder shrieked in protest and it was difficult just to hold onto the weapon as the howling wind almost snatched it from his fingers.

With a huge effort he wrenched the plasma gun around, aimed it at the lock mechanism as steadily as he could and fired.

The noise was whipped away in the hurricane of the shuttle's flight and as the gun kicked in his hand it was torn from his grasp, disappearing into the sky. When, with difficulty, he dragged his head around to look at the damage he saw that he'd managed to hit his target but as he'd feared, it made no difference. The plasma caster just didn't have the juice to penetrate the outer lock. _"I need cutting tools like I had on the Umbra or a more powerful plasma cannon like those on a ship."_ He thought.

Little stars of ice were starting to appear on his armour plating as the temperature plummeted and it got harder to see as the front of his mask began to craze with frost. Very soon the atmosphere would become too thin to breathe.

" _I was wrong to think I would asphyxiate,"_ He realised _"I will more likely lose consciousness and then fall to my death."_ He looked down. They were about ten clicks up {about 15 kilometres} - more than enough to kill him and still rising.

If he fell, Lex and Selim would be left alone with Khurshad.

" _I have to get in! There must be a way!"_ He hammered on the side of the ship again in frustration.

* * *

WHUMP! The muted sound of a plasma cannon fired against the side of the ship at point blank range resounded through the interior. Lex saw Khurshad's head twitch towards it with a puzzled expression. It could have just been turbulence but she knew it wasn't.

"He doesn't know what it is," She thought "He thinks Scar is dead. I have to get to the controls now, whilst he's distracted. This might be the only chance I get!"

She started to move around behind him as stealthily and as quickly as she could. She knew she was now within reach of the hunter's long arms but she just had to hope that the cloaking device would protect her.

THUDTHUDTHUD! The muffled impacts echoed through the shuttle. Khurshad's attention seemed now to be wholly on the noise. He even started to move away from the console towards the corridor that led to the inner lock. The noise spurred her into action and she darted forward and pressed the lock override control and then the button to open the outer hatch. Then two things happened.

First, a howling rattled down the corridor from the airlock as the outer hatch opened and the air inside the inner lock chamber was sucked out. Second there was a shattering pain as Khurshad swung round and slammed the throwing knife into her hand, pinning her to the control desk.

Lex stood transfixed, feeling herself start to shake as her body tried to cope with the shock. Blood started to run down the knife, appearing weirdly halfway up the blade as it oozed from her invisible hand.

He must know she was there – even if the blow had been just a lucky guess, the flowing red blood must be proof enough that he had hit some part of her. Before she could even try to free herself he flailed with one clawed hand and managed to get a grip on her upper arm, deactivating her cloaking device in the process.

As she shimmered into full visibility she tried to focus on him, to keep herself from passing out. Her teeth ground together so hard she thought they might shatter in her jaw. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of crying out, proving him right about human weakness.

" _Now what were you saying ooman slut,"_ He hissed _"About my being fit only for menial tasks?"_

" _I was wrong."_ She said steadily _"I cannot think of_ _ **any**_ _menial tasks you are intelligent enough to perform!"_

He dealt her a sledgehammer blow across the face, knocking her mask off. She blinked and spat blood and some tiny fragments of tooth onto the deck, then her gaze came up again defiantly. The pupils were black pinpoints of loathing.

" _You will not die right away,"_ He spread his jaws in a nasty grin _"First you will watch me crush the skull of your hybrid brat in my fist. I almost wish I had not had S'Kia killed. He should see his ooman plaything carved into strips and your blasphemous progeny squashed like rotten fruit_. _"_

As she looked at him she suddenly realised something; the wailing from the airlock had stopped. Khurshad seemed to realise it at the same time and his head swung round in the direction of the hatch. As if the very mention of his name had summoned him, Scar stood there. Rimed with frost and ice crystals and covered in blood, he looked like he'd been dredged up from the deepest frozen pit of hell.

Closing the distance between them before either had a chance to move he smashed into Khurshad, knocking her from his grasp. Slamming the squad leader into the wall he punched him in the face repeatedly.

Desperate to get the younger male off him, Khurshad kneed him in the gut. Scar staggered for a moment and went for him again, unsheathing his dah'kte. The senior hunter extended his own knives to ward off the flashing blades and they clashed their forearms against one another, both trying to smash through their opponent's guard and stab him.

Lex leaned heavily against the console, trying not to pass out or vomit from the pain as they hacked and slashed. There was no show-boating, no grace, no finesse; they were just trying to kill each other as quickly as possible. Normally Scar would have had the upper hand over Khurshad, being younger and stronger, but now he was injured and exhausted from fighting the leeches and hanging onto the outside of the shuttle. She could tell only a mixture of murderous rage and desperation was keeping him on his feet, surely he would start to flag soon.

She gripped the handle of the throwing knife and pulled, but it was firmly embedded in the console. She wiggled it from side to side, trying to free it, but the movement caused a searing agony in her hand and blood to start running down the blade more profusely. She had to stop and lean on the console as a wave of nausea swept over her "If I pull it out," She thought "I'll probably start bleeding heavily… might even bleed out."

As she thought this Khurshad sliced Scar across the unprotected part of his midsection. He managed to sway backwards so that the cut was only shallow rather than eviscerating him, but it was still deep enough to spatter the floor of the cockpit with his vivid green blood.

Her eyes widened in horror, "Bleed or not, I have to get free!" She thought "I can't let Khurshad kill him!" She gripped the hilt of the knife and began to wrench at it again.

* * *

Scar felt the blood dribbling down his side but he ignored it. Things were not going well. Khurshad might not be a great intellect but no yautja got to be a member of the clan leadership – or even reached the age Khurshad was – without being a cunning and powerful fighter. He ruthlessly exploited Scar's injuries and so far the younger male had not even wounded him.

" _What is wrong, S'Kia?"_ Khurshad sounded amused as they circled one another warily _"I thought you were supposed to be unstoppable in battle? Even your soft-meat concubine has managed to draw my blood and you have not!"_

Scar didn't answer him but he knew Khurshad was right _"If I could just disarm him,"_ He thought _"In a hand to hand fight I might have a chance, or at least I would if I were not in this enfeebled state."_

His mind raced _"There has to be some way that I can take him down, even if it means I die too,"_ He thought _"We must kill him somehow; I have not fought my way here just to fail now!"_

He couldn't afford to be distracted from Khurshad to even glance at Lex, although he'd seen when he entered the cockpit that she seemed to be injured. She was leaning over the console still… the console; near to the controls! They must have escaped the planet's atmosphere by now or be close to doing so.

"Lexsss?" He said quietly "Are you conscioussss?"

"Just barely."She answered hoarsely.

"I am weak… I cannot fight him off for long," He spoke in human language, knowing Khurshad could only speak a few words, hoping if he spoke quickly his opponent wouldn't be able to understand "I will use the last… of my strength to… drrrrive him back, when I tell you I want you to sssseal the cockpit… and open the airlock. Selim will be sssafe in the pod."

She looked up "What about you?"

"I cannot defeat him!" He spat "At least one of us …has to surrrrvive so that – "

"Wait!" She gasped "There's got to be another way, you don't want to die!"

"I am 'sorry' but… it is necessary."

"I won't do it! _I_ don't want you to die!"

"Just do what I ssssay… infernal female! Protect our… ssson. I am glad you... came back for me."

" _Taking your leave of the slut S'Kia?"_ Khurshad grinned at him _"You would do better to start praying for the gods' forgiveness. You have a great many offences against them that you must atone for before the soul eating goddess comes to drag you into the long darkness!"_

" _We go to her together now Khurshad!"_ He snarled _"You can watch me fuck her!"_ And he charged. Using his dah'kte with bludgeoning force he smashed at his aggressor, hitting him again and again with bone jarring violence. Khurshad was taken by surprise; he'd thought the Abomination on the point of collapse. Scar battered him about the head and face with the blades and hacked and slashed at his arms and legs. The older male managed to land a few blows, but Scar didn't seem to notice or to care as the two of them were covered in huge splatters of iridescent green. Try as he might Khurshad was being driven inexorably backwards. He looked desperately for an opening, but Scar was fully in the grip of a killing frenzy. Now that he'd accepted his own death as a certainty, he was lost to all hesitation and all pain.

"DO IT!" He howled as Khurshad's heels touched the metal hatch "Lexsss open it NOW - " He was cut off and both of them were thrown violently off their feet as the clutch of Rough Skull bombs left at the Bad Blood compound went off at last, reacting with the black holes in the camouflage devices and unleashing an apocalyptic explosion, flung first against one wall and then the other by the same force that wiped several square miles of Hirai jungle off the map forever.

* * *

In the cockpit Lex finally screamed as she too was hurled across the room, the force of her own body weight freeing her as the blade wrenched clear of the console. Her side hit the door frame hard and she collapsed, the knife still embedded in her palm, as quake after quake shook the craft, seeming to go on and on for ever. The noise was deafening, painful to the ears and the turbulence was so bad she thought they were going to fall out of the sky.

She lay there as minutes slipped by, too stunned to move. Then as the aftershocks finally began to die away she pushed herself up on her elbows, determined to get on her feet before Khurshad. When she looked across the corridor what she saw filled her with sickening dread.

* * *

The blast had stopped Scar's rampage in its tracks, it had also delivered Khurshad an unexpected bonus by knocking the back of the younger male's head heavily against the wall. Although the older hunter had also been thrown off his feet when the explosives detonated, Scar's momentary incapacitation gave him just the opportunity he needed. Khurshad threw himself at his opponent, fully intending to plunge his dah'kte into his throat or guts. As he did so Scar came to and grabbed hold of his wrists, holding on grimly. His mask had come away during the onslaught and he and Khurshad locked gazes; seething with hatred, snarling and drooling, their faces only inches apart.

At that moment, a noise cut through the hum of the ships engine like a bandsaw; a baby crying, screaming at the top of its lungs. Khurshad's jaws curled disgustedly but Scar's one working eye went wide with alarm and he struggled even more fiercely to get up.

" _Just give up Abomination!"_ The squad leader rasped _"Why do you cling onto life so miserably? Do you fear death you coward?"_

" _Even if I explained it to you slowly,"_ Scar spoke through clenched jaws _"It is beyond your comprehension imbecile!"_

" _Know this,"_ Khurshad hissed _"When you are dead I am going to skin her and your vile spawn. I just want you to know that before I gut you - "_

Suddenly he jerked violently to one side as Lex stabbed him from behind, plunging the dah'kte on her uninjured hand into his shoulder. She'd meant to hit him in the spine but her own injuries had made her woozy and the knives glanced off his shoulder blade and went wide of the mark. Khurshad roared in fury and turned instinctively to deal with the new threat. Seizing Lex by the throat, he lifted her off the ground and dashed her head first against the metal door of the airlock.

As one hand was suddenly freed from holding off Khurshad's blades, Scar struck with all the strength he had left, knowing he could not afford to miss. He punched the dah'kte upwards into the soft part of the squad leader's throat, right up through the roof of his mouth and into his skull, severing the brain stem and obliterating his brain, feeling a final crunch as the triple points of the blades burst through the top of his thick cranium. Blood coursed down his arm and then it buckled as Khurshad became a dead weight and crashed down on top of him.

For a moment Scar was so utterly ruined by the last few hours that he didn't have the power to lift him off, he just had to lie there feeling the older male's life draining out all over him. Then he turned his head and saw Lex lying unmoving against the wall. More blood; red, hers, seeping onto the floor.

With a monumental effort he managed to heave his dead enemy to one side and drag himself across to her. He looked at her perforated hand, cursing to see that the impact had knocked the blade free and now… if she kept bleeding like this, she would surely die. If it'd been his own hand he'd have got the medikit, used the clamp to hold the wound closed, but human anatomy? He knew it well enough to butcher her but not well enough to save her hand from being crippled; to save her from bleeding to death.

Squeezing her wrist as hard as he could to form a makeshift tourniquet and dizzy himself from blood loss, he lifted her up and lugged her over to the only sleeping pod that was still closed.

* * *

Hobbes thought she might swallow her tongue in fright as she heard a pounding on the metal door, loud enough to wake the dead. The baby in her arms wailed at an even more deafening pitch at this fresh outrage. She hugged and tried to quieten him, but she was powerless to make him calm. She'd managed to avoid either herself or Selim being injured too badly by strapping herself onto one of the bunks with him lying across her chest under the strap.

When she'd seen the harness, she'd guessed that whoever slept in these pods must accept pretty extreme turbulence as a fact of space travel so it had seemed like the logical thing to do. Thank God she had – it had probably saved their lives – but the explosion (if that's what it was) had scared the hell out of both of them. Now Selim would not be silenced and it was a moment before she managed to discern over his ear splitting cries that someone was calling her, shouting at her to open the door.

Muffled through the metal though it was she could hear enough to know it was one of the aliens. That wasn't a voice she was ever likely to forget.

She was gripped by an agony of indecision; every instinct she had was telling her not to open the door but then again… no, she wasn't imagining it; the voice was calling her by name. How would any of them know her name apart from the one Lex had said was Selim's father? She couldn't stay in here for ever, and the baby was distraught.

Screwing up her courage, she pressed the button to release the lock and swallowed a shriek when the alien all but fell into the room. He hung against the door frame, covered from head to foot in gouts of vivid green… she suddenly realised this was what flowed in their veins. When he lifted his head to look at her she did scream, he was utterly horrifying. Even seeing the baby had not prepared her for the sight of the father without his mask; the gaping jaws, the one burning eye, half his face was a bloody mess.

If he was offended he didn't show it. He seemed too distracted to notice. "Dying, bleeding. Do… something." He gasped.

At first she thought he meant himself and shrank back. Then she saw Lex lying in his arms, as still and pale as death.

"Oh Jesus!" Hobbes swallowed hard. She was about to ask him what the hell happened and then her gaze went past him to the corpse of the other alien, mangled and mutilated in front of the airlock and she realised it didn't matter.

"Put her down." She said "Let me look."

He obeyed instantly, laying her on the floor at Hobbes's feet, but did not release his hold on her wrist.

She was about to kneel down to get a closer look when he held out his free hand "Give me," He said "My ssson."

Hobbes stopped dead. She didn't see how she could hand the baby to this grisly apparition, even if he was his father. Lex had been pretty ambivalent about him until just an hour ago and in any case he seemed on the point of falling down himself. Selim's howls sounded very loud in the sudden silence as she stood there, clutching him uncertainly. She was a mother – she couldn't just turn a baby over to someone she thought might hurt him.

He flexed his talons at the knuckle joints "Human, you … protected him…. so I do not want to harm you," He growled, in a voice like a steel file "But do _**not**_ make me ask you… a second time."

Hobbes flinched under the gaze of that one demonic eye but what choice did she have? She needed her hands free if she was to help Lex anyway. Slowly, praying Lex had been right to forgive him, she handed the baby across. The alien took him, holding him against one gore covered shoulder. Then, clasping Selim against his chest, he slid slowly down the door frame until he was sitting on the floor. He seemed exhausted. When the baby did not stop screaming, he made a low growling, purring noise that sounded like it might be some kind of speech. Selim's wails gradually dwindled into sobs and finally became merely whimpering and snuffling.

Relieved that the baby seemed to be calmer now, Hobbes took the wrist of Lex's injured hand out of his grasp and held it elevated – applying pressure herself – whilst she inspected the wound. The flow of blood seemed to be slowing. She hoped that was a good sign and not an indicator of internal bleeding.

"What did this?" She asked him, rifling through the equipment she carried in various pockets and pouches to produce elements of her medical kit.

He nodded his head to the floor where the knife lay. At least it looked sharp – less chance of tissue damage and internal haemorrhaging she thought, as she began to pack wadding and wind the tight bandage around the puncture. She'd have to stitch it later but right now just let Lex not bleed to death.

"I can stop the bleeding," She said, tongue protruding from the side of her mouth in concentration "But I don't know what I can do about the blood she's already lost. Did she black out from blood loss?"

"No." He said "Hit head… on the wall." He nodded again, indicating the dead alien. She assumed he meant that this had been the one who hit her against the wall.

"I told her…" He muttered, as if to himself "She would not listen… _terkaur pyode amedhe_ _kar'salitka!"_ {trans: crazy, soft-meat, bitch - i.e. intractable or insubordinate female}

Hobbes finished bandaging, when no blood seemed to be seeping through the gauze she bent to peer under Lex's eyelids. Out cold. She sighed "If she got hit in the head hard enough, no telling when – or if – she'll ever wake up."

When she looked up she thought maybe he had lost consciousness too, his one functioning eye had closed.

"I don't think there's much I can do, I just don't have the right equipment." She said to herself "We just have to hope she won't need a transfusion."

A moment and then he spoke "Atrans… what is... that?"

"More blood to replace the blood she's lost, but I don't have any blood here to give her." She explained.

"Take some of... mine."

For the first time, Hobbes felt something towards him other than fear and revulsion, she looked at him with something approaching pity. Fortunately (she suspected) he had his eyes closed and couldn't see. "Like _that_ is it?" She thought.

"I am strong enough to… bleed more." He said, as if explaining, eye still shut.

"No," She said, as gently as she could manage "It wouldn't help. Your blood type wouldn't be compatible."

"I was … I am … compatible… enough to make her… pregnant." He fixed the yellow glare on her, making her cower.

"Even if you were human you might not be compatible, it has to be the right blood type or it could do more harm than good." She explained, cringing at having to tell him things he didn't want to hear and wishing she hadn't mentioned it. He seemed more than capable of opening her veins if he decided it was necessary "Plus I don't have the right equipment to do it." She added hastily "I just wish I could get some fluids into her at least."

"Fluids?" He blinked, looking dazed.

"Like water, saline fluid." She pressed a finger to her inner arm, as if inserting an IV.

He said something in his own language she did not understand, beginning to push himself to his feet.

"What!?" She squeaked, startled.

"This ship," He said "Has a… a rest … pod."

"Rest pod?" She thought he meant the sleeping chamber she had been hiding in.

"No!" He shook his head in frustration "Medicine! A… medicine pod. That can give fluids, scan her…"

He thrust the miraculously sleeping baby into her arms, scooped up the unconscious woman and staggered past her. Cradling Selim against her, she followed him past the sleeping compartments to a large, sarcophagus shaped piece of equipment concealed behind them. It was made of metal but the lid was glass, or something transparent that looked like glass. It was big enough to hold a body bigger even than his. Above it a screen, currently vacant; a dark mirror.

At the touch of a control the pod slid open smoothly. He placed her inside and with another tap of a talon the lid closed over her. As Hobbes watched Lex was bathed in a deep blue light, then lines of red light no thicker than a hair began to move over the surface off her skin as if mapping it, outlining the contours of her face.

The screen above the sarcophagus now flickered into life and began displaying what she presumed to be the results of the pod's sweep. Lex's body appeared in silhouette, different layers of colour seeming to indicate core temperature. Then a further layer appeared to show muscle and tissue, a green area highlighting the puncture wound through her injured hand.

The hunter stood utterly still watching the screen. It didn't seem to be showing him anything he didn't already know.

As the scan slowly completed its third sweep, a graphic of Lex's bone structure appeared slowly from the feet up. As the skull became visible she saw the bright green colour that she guessed must denote damage traced a hairline crack. Hobbes couldn't prevent her own hiss of in-drawn breath. To her it looked like a skull fracture.

She glanced sideways at the alien. His one eye was a thin slash of vivid colour in the ultraviolet light.


	23. Epilogue

When she felt the crisp chill of the pine smelling Colorado night, Hobbes felt a deep gratitude unlike anything she'd ever experienced before. She closed her eyes and gave sincere thanks to God or fate or whatever force in the universe it was that had allowed her to get back to Earth alive

"When all the rest of your team are dead." Said a little inner voice. She squashed it, no point in giving in to thoughts like that.

"There are humans… further down this valley. The scanners tell me." Said the alien, as if to remind her who had _**actually**_ brought her back here "Several units… on foot. Not far for a …warrior."

She turned to see if he had intended mockery by this last remark, with his mask on it was hard to tell. She found him difficult to read at the best of times. Three weeks in his company had not much lessened her fear of him or increased his warmth towards her, but she sometimes suspected a cruel sense of humour at work – usually at her expense. It was impossible to be sure.

She squinted. It was a bright, moonlit night but she couldn't make out the lights of any town nearby. "It figures," She reflected "We could've landed anywhere and he drops me in the middle of nowhere!" She looked back at him again dubiously. He stood behind her, holding the sleeping baby against one shoulder. Selim was tightly wrapped in furs, his father's sole concession to the biting cold.

"Down, medic." He said "Just keep walking... down."

She nodded, unable to think what else to say for a moment. Then she held out her hands "Can I hold him for a moment?" She said timidly "I just want to say goodbye."

He snorted derisively, but handed her the snoring bundle. A few weeks ago, she hadn't held out much hope for Selim's chances of survival without his mother to look after him but he seemed more resilient than she'd expected.

Perhaps it was genetic. The alien's injuries looked almost healed, even after so short a space of time "And someone really went to town on him!" She thought, not for the first time wondering what had been the cause of all this bloodshed and violence.

She imagined he would always carry the huge slashing mark across the right side of his face but amazingly, once he had cleaned it off and the swelling had subsided, it revealed he had not lost the eye. It was emerging gradually from behind a welter of scar tissue. He had been hideous before and now he was slightly more so, she doubted he was the type to care.

His shoulder underneath the mess of gore had also been cut up pretty badly. He didn't discuss his injuries with her and she wouldn't have dared try to examine them without his express invitation, but even from a distance she could see for herself that some of the skin had been peeled away. That too had mostly healed now but it had still left places where the fibrous texture of muscle tissue showed through.

Hobbes looked down at the strange, small face; the pouting lips, the flickering eyelids, the tiny ridges on his brow, the almost translucent white of the tusks that framed his sulky little mouth. His breath whistled in the asthmatic, snuffling way of all little babies.

"He can't help what he is." She thought, as she stroked his cheek very gently "Poor little innocent."

"If you disturb him," The alien growled pointedly " _You_ … must make him be asleep again."

Hurriedly she handed him back to his father. If it was going to take hours to get back to civilisation she wanted to get on the move whilst she had this moonlight, not be blundering along in the dark. There looked to be a fairly obvious track down the valley and Hobbes had done plenty of night marches in her life.

She sighed and wished she could have said her goodbyes to Lex too, thanked her for saving her life. Now Hobbes had time and distance from Myers's death, she knew that Lex had not been to blame "If she hadn't waded in to rescue us, all knocked up, then I wouldn't be on my way home to my girls!" She thought "And now her baby's left without a mother? Life's a fucking bitch sometimes!"

But there was no time for that now. She supposed she could thank the alien, he had kept his word after all "Thank you." She said "For bringing me back here I mean."

He tossed his head, shaking off her gratitude like a cat shakes off water, faintly disgusted "Consider my … obligation to you fulfilled." He said shortly and started back up the gangway, towards the belly of the shuttle.

"For what it's worth Scar," Hobbes called after him "I hope she wakes up soon!"

He half turned "Scar?" He said, sounding displeased "That is not… my name! Only Lexsss calls me that."

She swallowed hard "So what does everyone else call you?"

"Everyone elsssse?" He made a strange noise and suddenly she realised he was laughing; a short barking laugh which echoed off the mountainside in the cold, clear air "Human, there is… no one else. Everyone else is dead!"

* * *

The End

* * *

Author's note: I hope you have enjoyed this story. Whether you liked it or not please review it and tell me what you think as it's always interesting to have feedback. I am in the process of doing some more writing so it'd be useful to know what people think.


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